Taken An Alternate Ending to Shadow Kiss
by MadameRozaBelikova
Summary: In the caves Rose is taken instead. Can Dimitri and the rest find her before it's too late and she joins the undead? Can Rose overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of her love and happiness? Can true love and friendship conquer all? Slightly OOC!
1. Chapter 1 They Took Her

This is not the first fanfiction I have written, however it is the first one I have had the guts to post on any site or let anyone else read. I hope you like it!

Also this story is set in multiple points of view since I am always trying to imagine what Dimitri and Adrian are thinking. I am a huge Dimitri fan, but I love love love Adrian so who knows?

Also, I am not so good at quotation marks, but I think it flows.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters or plot lines. This piece is not intended for copywright infringement and or monitary gain. Everything belongs to Richelle Mead.

They Took Her

DPOV

"Rose!!!" I screamed as I watched a blonde strigoi drag away the love of my life. Just seconds before we had all been coming out of the caves after the rescue mission and Rose was right behind me. All of the sudden 8 strigoi jumped out of nowhere. Almost everyone was out and it was just Rose and I and Janine and Stan. The odds were not good that all of us would make it out alive. As the strigoi rushed forward with super speed I had only one thought. Get Rose out of here alive. There were too many and even after I'd staked a few there seemed to be more coming. The fight raged on and we were exhausted. The sun would be setting soon and we needed to make a break for it. I glanced around Rose was holding her own as were Janine and Stan. We continued to wage war on the never ending line of strigoi.

After a while there were only a few left Janine was fighting a female and Stan was wresting with a male. I at the moment was alone. I looked around apprehensively for Rose. I had tried to keep her in my peripheral vision during the fight but had been distracted more than once. It was then I heard a blood curdling scream. I recognized instantly that it was the voice of the one I loved. I turned quickly and ran further back into the cave towards the scream. A blonde male strigoi had Rose by the throat. She was bloody and bruised and her eyes were full of terror. "Rose." I cried lunging forward, I didn't get very far before two stronger strigoi had me in their grasps. I tried to escape , but they were too strong. I looked into her terrified eyes as I struggled for release from my captors. The blonde strigoi grinned at me widely and then grabbed Rose by the neck and bit hard. She screamed again and thrashed violently crying out in pain. "Dimitri." She cried weakly. I couldn't move. She had stopped struggling and passed out or worse she was dead. My poor sweet Roza. How could I have let this happen. How could I have let those monsters get their hands on her. In an instant rage flew through my body and I threw one of the strigoi off of me and he landed hard with a crash on the other side of the cave. I reeled around and staked the other. I tried running to where the other strigoi was feeding off Rose, but all too quickly he picked up her lifeless body and ran. I followed running as fast as I could, but I couldn't keep up and I lost the trail. I watched as they faded into the dusk. Would that be the last time I saw my beloved Roza. I put my head in my hands "Nooooooooooo!" I cried out. Anyone but her. I looked around for something to punch. There was nothing. Tears began to stream down my face. I don't remember the last time I cried, but I didn't care. Rose was everything to me and I had lost her. It was all my fault. I never should have allowed her to come on this mission. I was her mentor I was supposed to protect her. I was starting to lose it when the strigoi I'd thrown against the wall caught up with me. I was done playing around.

I began to beat him. How dare they take her. She was so young and innocent. She didn't deserve to die like that. I kept hitting him harder and harder cursing loudly in Russian until I felt someone's hand on my shoulders. I wheeled around and looked at the person standing in front of me. It was Janine Hathaway Rose's mother.  
"Guardian Belikov! Enough stake him already." She said. "What's gotten into you?" She reached for her stake and quickly ended the strigoi I'd pummeled to a bloody pulp.

She looked into my now tear stained face curiously.

"Where's Rose?" she asked almost quivering.

I didn't answer right away. I couldn't find the words. Less than twenty-four hours ago Rose and I had made passionate love and decided not to be apart from each other anymore. We were so happy and now she was gone. My heart had been shattered into millions of pieces.

"Where is she Belikov?" She demanded angrily her eyes begging me to tell her anything but what I was about to say.

I looked in the direction the strigoi had taken her. "They took her." I managed.

"They took her? Oh Rose. No not my Rose."

And with that the bad ass guardian Janine broke down into sobs. She was so out of control she could barely stand. She cared so much for Rose even though their relationship had been strained. The loss of a child was not something any parent wants to go through. I could barely keep myself together, but I was the stronger of the two of us. I pulled her into my arms and let her cry.

I sought to give her words of comfort, but they never came. All I felt was emptiness inside. Yesterday my heart had been light and full of love and life. Today the life had been extinguished in a few short seconds and my soul mate had drawn what was probably her last breath.

As we walked back to the Academy the mood was solemn. It was dark and we moved quickly but it was difficult with the injured. Janine hadn't been able to put her guardian mask back on and when we joined the others who were waiting. There were no words spoken but everyone knew what had been lost. Alberta nodded her head at me as I supported Janine as she was barely able to walk she was sobbing so hard. I knew I didn't look much better than she did, but I couldn't let my feelings show. I would not dishonor Rose's name by coming out with the truth after she was gone. The look of sorrow on Alberta's face told me that she knew what I felt for Rose. I also knew she wouldn't say anything to the others.

When we arrived at the front gates to the Academy we could see the massive damage that was done the night of the attack . Small fires still burned. Buildings had been damaged. There were still strigoi remains lying everywhere. The bodies of the guardians and moroi that had been lost had been cleaned up and prepared for burial first out of respect. The med clinic was full and the injured were lined up outside the door. I was pretty banged up, but I didn't care. I didn't care whether I lived or died at this point, but I needed to hold it together long enough to do what I knew Rose would want me to. I had to go and tell the princess of her death.

I left Janine with Stan and Alberta and told them to get her some medical attention. They nodded and I set off to find the Princess. I knew she had been helping out at the clinic, but I didn't see her there. It was possible that she already knew that something had happened to Rose because of their bond. I trudged slowly over to the moroi dorms. My heart ached for what I was about to do. The pain I was feeling was indescribable and I had only known Rose for six months. But in those six months she had managed to capture my heart and soul. I remembered the first time I saw her through the window in Portland. I was trying to blend in with the scenery, but she had captivated me so much so that I let myself be seen. She had looked in my direction and I got lost in the depths of her beautiful brown eyes. I pushed back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. The princess had known Rose her whole life. The grief I was going to deliver was not going to be easy on anyone. I knew that dealing with the effects of spirit had taken a toll on the princess's mental state and now with her bondmate gone I didn't know what would happen. I just knew that I would take care of her for Rose. That is what she would want.


	2. Chapter 2 You Love Her?

Chapter 2 You Love Her??

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Vampire Academy or it's Characters or Plotline. They all belong to the fabulous Richelle Mead. Although if I could own just one of the character's it would definitely be Dimitri. Or Adrian??? Can't decide!

I pushed the doors open and walked past the guardian on duty. I headed up to the fourth floor. I stopped outside the door to the princess's room. I had to keep it together for a few minutes. I couldn't afford to break down in front of the princess. She was Rose's best friend, but I knew Rose had not told her about us and I didn't want to add to the princess's grief by letting her find out this way. I put on my guardian face, took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door.

The door swung open. The princess looked tired probably from using so much spirit and now without Rose taking the darkness from her it was taking a heavy toll. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Guardian Belikov." She cried. "Thank God you're alright." "Were you able to rescue everyone?"

She looked at me expectantly.

"Can I come in princess?" I asked wearily.

"Of course." She opened the door and I entered to find Christian whom I expected to be here, but also Adrian Ivashkov leaning against the wall.

"Where's Rose? I thought she'd be with you." asked the princess an uneasy look on her face.

She took in the sorry state I was in. There was blood all over my shirt and my clothing was torn. I had dirt everywhere. It occurred to me that I should have changed and cleaned up a little before coming here.

I glanced first at Christian who looked worried and then at Adrian who seemed to be studying me curiously. His eyes met mine and in that moment I knew he was taking in my aura. His eyes widened and then looked down at the floor. He knew what I was about to say.

"Princess." I started.

"There were a lot of strigoi and we were able to rescue many of the students that were taken including Eddie." I said quickly. A small look of relief came over her face, but it was short lived when she realized I wasn't done talking.

"Princess Rose was very brave." my voice started to waver. The three moroi in the room stared at me panicked.

"Rose is gone Princess. I'm sorry it was my duty to protect her and I let you down." I put my head down and stared blankly at the floor.

"She's gone? Rose is dead? No that's not true you're lying!" she lashed out.

She began to scream and cry hysterically. She lunged forward and began hitting me ,which of course didn't hurt since she was moroi and weak by nature. I had never seen her so angry. This is more how I thought Rose would react if the roles were reversed.

"She's not gone I would feel it." She screamed her breath becoming ragged.

I let her assault me. I deserved it. I was her sanctioned guardian and my duty was to protect her and by extension protect Rose who was important to her.

Christian came forward and pulled the princess off of me. She collaspsed against him in uncontrolled sobs.

"Shh Liss it's going to be okay." He tried to soothe her.

He himself had tears flowing down his cheeks. I knew that Christian and Rose were not the best of friends, but they had worked side by side in Spokane and again against the strigoi the night of the attack. He cared for her. I could see that.

"Okay? Okay? she yelled out. "Rose is dead. Nothing will ever be okay again! She was the only one who knows what it's like the darkness, she's my best friend, my sister." She continued to cry.

I drug my eyes away from the Princess. I couldn't watch her break down like that. Not when I felt so much like doing the same myself. I would wait until I was alone.

I glanced at Ivashkov who had been quiet through the entire outburst. He had taken a seat in a chair in the corner of the room. His head was in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. Maybe he did care more about Rose than I thought. I had always just assumed that he'd wanted to get into her pants like every other spoiled moroi royal. When he raised his head I saw pain and hurt in his eyes and they were red from crying. They were friends I knew, but I had a feeling he wasn't lying when he told her he loved her.

He spoke then. "How did she…" he trailed off.

"Lord Ivashkov I don't think now is the time for that." I said gesturing towards the princess who was having a mental breakdown. She looked up from Christians shoulder at me.

"No I want to know." She said pushing Christian away from her and coming towards me.

"Princess with all due respect I don't think I should.. " I tried to remember what I was saying but I felt funny a little light headed.

"Tell us what happened Guardian Belikov and don't leave anything out." said the princess. Suddenly I wanted to spill out everything that I've ever known about Rose.

"We were all leaving the caves when at least 8 strigoi jumped me, Rose, Janine and Stan. We were down to the last few when one grabbed Rose. I tried to get to her, but there were two very large strigoi restraining me. He bit her and then ran off with her. I tried to follow them, but they were too fast and I lost their trail. I don't know if she was dead when they left." I said without hesitation.

Then I broke down. "It's my fault. I let my feelings for her cloud my judgement. I can't say no to her. She has this power over me. I shouldn't have let her go there. She should have been safe here with you. She is just a child she should still be alive. Oh my Roza." Tears leaked out of my eyes as I fell to my knees.

Then slowly as if coming out of a trance I felt like myself again. I was confused. I was on my knees and I was crying. I stared up at the petit blonde royal in front of me in disbelief. She had used compulsion on me.  
She gaped at me her mouth wide open. Ozera and Ivashkov were standing behind her a similar expression on Christian's face although Adrian didn't seem surprised at my outburst. Then I remembered he already knew about Rose and I.

Then something strange happened. The princess looked deep into my eyes. "You love her?" she whispered.

I didn't respond. She compelled me again. "You're in love with her?" she asked more forcefully.

"Yes, I am."

"Was she in love with you?"

"Yes."

"How long."

"Since the first day I met her."

"Did you guys ever….

"Lissa stop that's enough." said Ivashkov stepping forward and coming between the princess and I breaking the hold she had on me. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"She wouldn't have wanted you to do it that way." He said.

I stood up embarrassed, but relieved that the truth was out.

"I knew it. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me. The way she acted when you were around. I'm surprised I didn't see it before." said the Princess.

"So you didn't see her die?" asked Christian. I had almost forgotten he was in the room.

"Christian." Said the princess disapprovingly.

"No I mean maybe they took her to feed off of. Maybe she's not really dead. We could find her."

The princess looked at me her tearful eyes filled with new hope.

"Princess." I said turning towards her and putting my hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing I'd like more than for Christian to be right that she is not dead, but in all reality that is probably what happened. Even if she were alive for a few hours after they took her. They don't keep feeders around very long." I said sadly thinking of what Rose's last minutes must have been like. If she was still alive now she would be at peace with all of those strigoi endorphins in her blood. I shuddered at the thought of what would happen to her body. She didn't deserve such a cruel, humiliating death.

"You're just going to give up. I thought you loved her." She yelled at me.

"I love her more than anything in this world and I would do anything for her to be here right now alive and well and kicking my ass, but that's not possible." I growled my usual composure had gone right out the window and I didn't even care that I was yelling at the Dragomir Princess at the top of my lungs.

"I would feel it if she was dead." She said again like a petulant child who would not accept the reality of the matter.

"I just know I would. Please Guardian Belikov let's just see if we can find out more information." She begged. I wanted to give in to her wishes. Anything that would keep hope alive that she would come back to me, but I didn't know what we could do. Strigoi didn't leave trails.

"I don't see how we would." I said. I was tired and beat up. I noticed there was blood dripping out of my open wounds all over the carpet.

"I'm sorry about the mess." I said glancing down at the floor.

"Don't worry about it." She said coming forward. I was about to object when she placed one hand over my mouth and the other hand on my chest and healed my wounds. I felt a rush of hot then cold as she proceeded to do so to the rest of my body.

Adrian was staring at her or rather her aura.

"Is there darkness?" she asked.

"Yes." He said looking tired and sad. Then his brow furrowed and his eyes lit up.

"It's gone." He said.

"She took it!! Rose took my darkness. She's still alive." The princess cried excitedly.

"Adrian can you dream walk her?" she asked.

I was still new to all of this Sprit magic stuff and I was always uncomfortable when he went into her dreams, but this would be the exception.

"I can try." he said lying down on the couch. He closed his eyes."

I prayed to God that she was indeed alive and that she could tell him where she was, but deep down I knew the chances were slim.

So Please Review if you like or dislike….


	3. Chapter 3 The Last Dragomir

Chapter 3 The Last Dragomir

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, any of its characters or plot line. All belongs to Richelle Mead!!

My husband called me a cyber freak for reading fanfiction... hmm I think he's jealous of Dimitri What do you think?

RPOV

I was awake, but I didn't feel right. Everything was hazy. I tried lifting my arms and they felt like jello. I also figured out that I was strapped to a chair. My mouth was covered, my arms were bound tightly as were my legs. It was completely dark where I was. Also my neck was throbbing. What the hell had happened.

In an instant the last few days came rushing back to me. Lissa being attacked, the darkness taking over me, Dimitri taking me to the cabin and us making love, the attack on the Academy, the rescue mission and then blank.

I remembered being in the caves with my mom, Dimitri and Stan and then nothing. Panic took my body over. If I was here captured by Strigoi, at least I think I was captured by Strigoi my stomach was feeling alright at the moment because no Strigoi were near me, but I had a feeling they were around somewhere lying in wait for something. What had happened to the rest.?

Were my mom and Dimitri alright? They certainly weren't here with me. Hope swelled inside of me that if Dimitri had gotten away then he and my mother would be coming to rescue me. Well at least I hoped they would.I remembered what my mother had said about rescue missions. If they didn't have a clear trail to follow they wouldn't send a rescue party. Also, I was the only one taken. My heart sank they wouldn't come for a dhampir a novice no less even if they knew where to look for me. I could be anywhere.

I was still a little hazy from the Strigoi bite that caused me to black out, but I tried my restraints anyways. They didn't budge. I grunted in frustration as the ropes dug deeply into my already bloody wrists and shoulders. I wished there were a little bit of light then I could see my surroundings and try to figure out an escape plan. My dhampir eyes were usually good, but not with those stupid strigoi endorphins in my system everything was blurry.

All of the sudden my gut was twisting in pain. Strigoi they must be close. No sooner than I thought that the door burst open and two strigoi came inside.

"Well well what do we have here?" a blonde strigoi said approaching me. I remembered him from the caves. I think he was the one I was fighting when I was taken. I tried screaming profanity at him, but my mouth was still gagged. He strode towards me quickly and with a flick of the wrist the gag was gone and I was able to speak.

"What do you want?" I barked.

"Well I'd heard that the mighty Rose Hathaway was feisty, but they didn't tell me you were a looker." He said with a smirk. The other strigoi laughed coldly behind him.

"I want what they all want." He said.

"And what is that?"

"To kill all the moroi, starting with your little blonde friend Princess Dragomir." He snarled.

"You touch her and I'll end you." I screeched struggling against my restraints.

"Oh I'll touch her alright, but first we're going to have a little fun with you."

"Just kill me already and be done with it." I bit out. "Or at least untie me so I have a fair fight."

"Yep I think we grabbed the right one." mused the female strigoi as she entered the room. "This one was trained by a former student of mine Dimitri Belikov. She'll make a great addition to our coven." She said stepping forward she turned on a table lamp. "And then she'll lead us right to the last Dragomir." She said with a laugh. They are bonded or so I've heard.

"I will not." I screeched fighting harder against my restraints. I knew it was futile, but I had to try. When I was satisfied that I'd tried hard enough I stopped.

"You know Guardian Belikov?" I asked the woman. I needed more information and the longer I kept them talking the longer I kept them from their plans.

"Yes he was one of my students before I was awakened. I was his mentor. And now to have one of his students right here in front of me. I heard you have a lot of promise." She said coming even closer. "I heard about you killing two strigoi with a dull sword." She was circling me like I was her next meal. Which I was.

Addition to her coven. Did she mean she was oh my God! This was worse than being captured and used as a blood whore, this was worse than being killed she was going to turn me into a strigoi. Realization hit me like a bucket of ice water.

"No! I won't let you." I cried.

"Oh dear she thinks she has a choice in the matter. Tell me honey how many strigoi have you fought?"  
"I don't know a lot."

"Yes I see well how many have you fought after all of your blood has been drained out of you?" she responded wickedly.

"Even if you turn me I won't help you kill Lissa." I said trying to bargain.

"Once you are awakened you'll see things in a whole new light. Just think of how drinking her blood will give you strength and power." She laughed evily.

I gasped as she moved forward and bit me hard and then it was black.


	4. Chapter 4 It's too Late for me Adrian

Chapter 4 It's too late for me Adrian

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plot line. Everything belongs to Richelle Mead. That includes the sexy Russian.

RPOV

I was at the beach. It was beautiful. The sun beat down warmly on my face as I gazed out into the serene waves of the clear blue water. I glanced down. I was wearing a skimpy red bathing suit with a sarong and fancy gold sandals. I sighed. At least if I was going to die I was going to do it in designer clothes. This had to be one of Adrian's dreams. I perked up a little though because even if I was going to die at least I'd be able to find out how everyone was, say goodbye and warn them that I would most likely be coming back as Strigoi to kill my best friend.

"Adrian?" I called out scanning the beach. I hoped he was here.

"I'm here little dhampir. It's so good to see you alive." He said crossing the beach swiftly and pulling me into a hug. He held me tightly as if he would never let go. It felt so good to breathe in his familiar scent of cloves and alcohol.

"Are you okay little dhampir?" he asked pulling back to look at me.

He was quite handsome even in his goofy Hawaiian patterned shirt at khacki shorts. His eyes were red as if he'd been crying and they widened as he took in my bruises and the blood dripping from my open wounds. I moved my hair that had fallen out of the pony tail I'd tied it up with before the caves to try and cover up my neck wounds.

"Don't Rose." He said grabbing my arm and forcing it back to my side tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he looked at me. "Where are you Little Dhampir?"

"I don't know. It's dark. There are strigoi."

"How many?"

"So far 2. A man and a woman."

"You are still alive so they must want something?" he asked with a sad look on his face.

I looked away. I knew I had to warn them. "They're going to turn me and then make me kill Lissa." I croaked.

I looked back at him. He gasped startled. I grabbed his shoulders.

"Adrian listen, it's too late for me don't risk yourselves. You have to warn the others and keep Lissa safe from me." I pleaded. Get the best guardians and take her somewhere safe. Somewhere I will never find her. I needed her to be safe. I couldn't stand the thought of becoming an evil creature of the night let alone coming back to murder my best friend in cold blood.

He wrestled out of my grasp a look of determination on his face.

" NO! I won't leave you out there to be turned. We are coming to get you?" he growled baring his fangs. I'd never seen him do that in anger. In fact I don't think I'd ever seen him angry.

I backed away from him slightly alarmed at his rage.

"Who is we? Did he is he?" If Dimitri had been killed then I wouldn't have the strength to fight.

"Belkov is fine. He's worried as hell about you though. He's here with us trying to find you." Adrian knew me so well that even though my thoughts were jumbled he knew they were about Dimitri.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "What about my mom."

"Last I heard she is alright, but wrecked because she thinks you are dead. Belikov nearly had to carry her back from the caves."

That was a shock to me. Badass Janine actually cared if I lived or died. Maybe she really did love me. Sadly I would never find out.

" Lissa?" I asked. I wished so badly that I could check on her, but I was too hopped up on Strigoi endorphins to be able to slip into her mind and I was numb to her feelings.

"Insane out of her mind with worry and grief. When Belikov came to tell us you were gone she freaked out and used compulsion on him to get information. Then she forced his feelings for you out into the open." He said quietly.

I gasped, but really I wasn't surprised. Few people knew how crazy Lissa could get when she didn't get her way. In some ways she was a little spoiled being a princess and all.

"I knew it would come out eventually. I'm glad she finally knows. Does she hate me for not telling her?" I really didn't want to die with her hating me.

"No she doesn't hate you she kind of suspected as much though, but she was scary I've never seen her like that before. I thought she was going to murder Belikov if he didn't give her the right answers." He said shaking his head.

Well that was Lissa for you. Always a surprise. One minute she was fine and the next she was crazy. I'd seen her like that more times that I cared to remember. I could also feel her craziness through the bond sometimes and I was always afraid of going a little mad from the darkness she exudes. Then a thought hit me.

"Oh my God." She has to stop using Spirit. If I die she won't be able to handle it by herself. You have to stop her."

Before I started absorbing her darkness she had taken to cutting herself and that was definitely not good for her.

"Let's concentrate on keeping you alive and we won't have to worry about that okay Little Dhampir?" he said sternly. Again very out of character for him.

"Rose can you tell me anything else about the Strigoi?"

"Oh yea I almost forgot. The woman. She knows Dimitri. She said she was his mentor before she was strigoi. She is the one who wants to turn me. Do you think that will help?"

"I hope so little dhampir. Try and stay alive until we can get to you. Please do it for Lissa, do it for me." He pleaded .

"I will do my best, but they have me chained up without weapons so there isn't much I can do."  
He sighed and the tears came freely for both of us now.

"Adrian tell everyone I love them will you. Tell Lissa it's okay. Don't let her risk herself for me. It's my job to protect her and I can't have her dying trying to save me. That's my job. I'll try to kill myself before they can turn me." I promised.

He grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and shook me.

"NO Rose! Don't even say that!" he yelled at me.

"Besides you know I can't control Lissa . We are all coming to look for you it's already been decided. I'll come back to your dreams so sleep if you can little dhampir.

I was so tired and I was starting to feel lightheaded. I didn't have the energy to keep arguing with him. Besides Dimitri would never let them come with if he came to find me. He'd keep Lissa safe for me.

"Tell Dimitri Я тебя люблю I learned it for him." I smiled a little remembering how much I had practiced it and that I wanted to surprise him. Also tell him it's his job to protect Lissa now. I'm trusting him to keep her safe."

"Ill tell him." He said he was crying harder now.  
"Don't cry Adrian. Please." I begged.

He pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my forehead. "I love you little dhampir." He said.

"I love you too Adrian." I said kissing him lightly on the cheek. Did I just say that? I think I did. Did I mean it? Maybe.

And then he was gone and it faded to blackness once again.


	5. Chapter 5: Regrets of a Mother

Chapter 5 Regrets of a Mother

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, its characters or plot line.

So has anyone ever wondered what was on Janine Hathaway's mind? I know I did. I know most people like to make her the bad guy, but I'm not so sure she should be. Sorry for the delay in updates. Crazy week at work had to teach 40 teenagers how to make Crepes!! Yikes! I have the next few chapters pretty much ready to go. Should I make you wait??? Am I as Evil as Strigoi Dimitri??? Only time will tell. Please Review. I hope you enjoy it.

Janine POV

I had spent the last few hours in a state of utter chaos. My only daughter was dead. When Guardian Belikov told me they'd taken her I'd broken down into hysterics. Rose was everything to me and the thought of her not knowing how much I truly loved her was heartbreaking.

I'd been and awful mother and a neglectful parent all these years. I had thought recently that I could make up for it and be a part of her life if she would let me and now it was over. Her life was over and I'd missed the chance to know my own daughter one of the two people in this world that I truly loved. I had failed her. All these years she'd been alone, raised by strangers, acting out because I neglected her. I'd never shown her kindness or compassion. The last few times I saw her I'd belittled her, accused her of being promiscuous and given her a black eye. What is wrong with me? How could I have been so cruel.

Even after the last time she was kidnapped and had to kill her friend's murderers I hadn't really been there for her. I held her once on the plane while she'd cried, but I'd never truly talked to her about it. God how she must have hated me. I took a worn photograph out of my wallet. It was of the two of us taken right before I brought her to the academy. She was just about four years old. She was smiling at me and her eyes were sparkling. It was sadly the most recent photograph that I had of the two of us together.

I thought back to the first day I dropped her off at the academy. She was barely four years old the youngest age at which a novice or moroi would be granted admittance into the academy. She had cried her eyes out and clung to me. I tried explaining to her that it was for the best that I loved her and that this is the way it had to be, but I was stupid what four year old would see it that way? All she saw was her mother abandoning her with strangers. The separation had been difficult for me as well and I cried myself to sleep many nights. I didn't see her again for over a year.

That first time after was Christmas and I had gotten a short leave from Lord Seltzky to check on her. She had grown so much and I missed her dearly and the look on her face and the light in her eyes when she saw me made me break down into tears. I decided then it was too much and I didn't go back to visit for another three years. By this time she was eight and she resented me. She didn't hug me or even look at me. It felt awful and this time I'd stayed away longer. I'd always blamed not being able to see her on my guardian duties, but in all reality I could have asked for vacation and Lord Seltzky would have granted it. It just hurt me too much to see her for such a short time and then be torn away again. I also saw a lot of her father in her as she'd gotten older and to be honest that was quite painful for me as well as I was still in love with him.

I'd seen her a total of three times after that. Once when she was eleven and once at fourteen. Both times she'd given me death glares and told me she hated me and to never come to see her again. It broke my heart for her to hate me so much so I did as she asked and stopped visiting.

Then I got word that she and the Princess had broken out of the academy. I was angry that she would do something so stupid and reckless. At first I wasn't so worried. I thought they would be caught in less than a week, but as a week turned into a month turned into a year I was worried out of my mind. Those two years were the worst of my life not knowing if she was alive or dead. It was after a year of her being gone that I accepted that I'd have to make a most dreaded phone call. I'd called her father Ibrahim to tell him that she'd disappeared from the academy. He was of course still angry with me for a lot of things, but letting her escape was inexcusable. He'd lit into me about how if I'd been around for her more of if I'd let him be a part of her life that she would be safe. I can't help thinking now that maybe he was right.

The day I received the call from Dimitri Belikov, a fellow guardian that I'd met several times over the years telling me that he'd found Rose and the Princess and brought them safely back to the academy was one of the best days of my life. I took leave immediately and went to check on Rose. I didn't allow her to see me or know that I was there, but I watched her secretly training with Guardian Belikov and I was very proud of the progress she'd made.

Right now I was about to make the worst phone call of my life. I was going to call Ibrahim, the love of my life and Rose's father to tell him that I'd failed yet again as a mother and allowed our daughter to be killed on my watch. Ibrahim was a good man and I loved him dearly, but I was so young and I thought I'd made the right decisions for myself and for Rose by keeping him away, but maybe she would still be alive if I hadn't kept her from him.

The line was ringing. I took in a deep, shaky breath and tried to hold in my tears.

"Mazur." Came his gruff voice across the phone.

"Ibrahim?"

"Who is this." He barked in Turkish.

I froze. I couldn't speak. How could I tell him?

"He repeated his question sounding annoyed."

"It's Janine." I managed.

"Oh." His voice softened a little.

"How are you?" he asked

"Not so good." I said.

"Tell me what's wrong my sweet?" Even after all these years he still called me his pet names that he used to have for me. That made me want to cry even more.

"Has Rosemarie gotten into more trouble?" he asked.

I broke down into sobs.

"Janine?" he questioned with concern.

"She's gone Ibrahim." I croaked.

"Where to this time?" he sighed exasperated. He thought I meant she'd run off again. I wished it were that simple.

"No Abe. She's dead." I choked out between sobs.

There was silence on the line for almost a minute. I thought he'd hung up and then I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"How did it happen?" he asked his voice thick with emotion.

"Strigoi attack on the school." I managed. "There were more than 50 strigoi. They broke the wards."

He gasped.

"You'd be proud she killed at least twenty." I said trying to stop crying.

" That's my girl. Going down with a fight." He said softly. I could tell he was hurting even though he never met her. I'd sent photos the few I had and he donated money to St. Vladimirs and asked them for yearly updates on her grades and activities.

"I'm sorry." I broke down again.  
"For what my sweet?" he asked being so nice to me again.  
"For letting you down, for letting Rose down, for keeping her away from you for not protecting her."

"The past is the past Janine. You can't change it." He said. "I must go. Be well my sweet." And he hung up.

I broke down again and just lay on a bed in guest housing too full of pain to do anything else.


	6. Chapter 6: She's Alive?

Chapter 6 She's Alive

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy its characters or plotline. I do however own a very cute pug!

DPOV

Ivashkov had been asleep for nearly an hour. I was getting frustrated. All I could think about was my Roza and if she was still alive. We didn't dare wake him in case he was with Rose. The princess was pacing around the room tearing at the ends of her golden hair. Christian was sitting very still just staring out the window.

I was getting impatient and I was about to go smack the drunkard awake when he opened his eyes and nearly jumped off the couch.

We looked at him expectantly.

"She's alive." My heart soared at his words.

"Where is she? Was she able to give you any information?" I barked.

"Is she hurt?" asked the princess timidly.

Ivashkov looked away grimacing. I figured as much. She had been beaten and bloody when we were in the caves and I'm sure it had only gotten worse after the bite.

"She doesn't know where she is. She's chained to a chair and it is very dark. There are two Strigoi. A man and a woman. She says the woman knows you."" He said gesturing towards me.

I raised my eyebrow at this.

"She says she was your mentor?" he explained.

"Galina." I breathed menacingly.

" You know a strigoi?" asked Christian incredulously.

"She wasn't strigoi when I knew her she was a guardian. She was later turned strigoi by force." I told them.

"What does she want with Rose?" I wondered aloud.

"She wants to turn her." Spat Ivashkov.

"What?" I roared. Why would she want to turn her? Probably so she could get to Lissa. I groaned.

This was bad. This was worse than bad. My beautiful Roza would be turned into an evil creature of the night. Her soul would be ripped from her body and then she would be a monster. I had to stop this. I couldn't allow her that fate and if it did happen. I needed to be the one to kill her. She'd once told me on a shopping trip to Missoula that she'd rather die than become strigoi. I would have to fulfill my promise to kill her if she was awakened. My heart ached so bad at the thought of never seeing her again or worse having to plunge a silver steak through her heart.

"Did she say anything else?" I asked trying to pull myself together.

"She said to tell us that she's lost to us and not to come and find her. Especially you Lissa." He said.

"That's not an option. Why would she say that?" the princess asked.

"She doesn't want you to get hurt. It's her way of protecting you." He replied.

"I don't' need protecting right now she does." The princess yelled defiantly.

"Hey don't shoot the messanger."

"Oh and Belikov she had a message for you too." He said reluctantly.

"What?" I asked hopefully. "Protect the Princess at all costs." He said.

"And.. "he said hesitantly. "She said to tell you. Я тебя люблю" He said in perfect Russian.

I was confused. "She said that?" I asked.

He nodded. "She said she learned it for you."

My heart was breaking. The girl I loved was in perilous danger and I was about to cry because she learned how to say she loved me in my native tounge. I cleared my throat and got back to business.

"Okay well she mustn't know about spirit users and dream walking if she allowed Rose to sleep long enough to tell you all of this." I said.

"I know where Galina might be." I added.

"She didn't exactly let her sleep I don't think." Said Ivaskov choking back a sob.

"What do you mean?"

"I think she was passed out from blood loss." He managed through sobs.

I cursed loudly in Russian.

"I have to get moving." I said heading for the door. I stopped to write down my cell number on a piece of paper.  
"Try to get into her dreams again soon and call me if anything changes or you have any more information." I said quickly.

"No wait where are you going? We are coming with you." The princess said blocking the door.

I looked down at her and I could see that she was in pain and that she wanted to help her friend, but I couldn't risk the lives of three royal moroi out there. If something happened to them Rose would never forgive me and there'd be hell to pay.

"Princess, I know you want to help, but the best way to do that is to stay here and be safe until Rose comes home ." I said hoping she would let me go.

"Guardian Belikov with all due repect Rose is bonded to me. She is the most important person in my life and I will not stay here and do nothing while she is out there being tormented by strigoi. We can stand here arguing about this for another ten minutes until I use compulsion to get you to cooperate or you can just agree to take us along now and save us the trouble and the time and for the love of God call me Lissa I can't stand that whole princess crap."

I could see the look of determination in her eyes.  
"As you wish Lissa." I said making up my mind. I'd rather them go having it be my decision than having her trick me into it.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Russia." I answered.

Galina had an estate in Novosibirsk.

"How are we going to get there?" asked Christian.

"You really aren't that royal are you?" asked Ivashkov with a laugh.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I will be requesting the use of the academy jet and that since I'm the only and favorite nephew to the Queen and have super compulsion abilities I shall get what I want." He said with a smirk.

Christian cursed under his breath, but I knew that we were all glad that Ivashkov had connections no matter how spoiled and egotistical he was.

In all actuality I thought I'd get a fight from Alberta on leaving the academy. Guardian levels were small after the attack and my leaving would leave them in a bind. She didn't ask where I was going she just wished me good luck. She of course did not know that I was taking two underage moroi and the nephew of the queen along for the ride at the time.

Ivashkov used his connections and compulsion to get us use of the jet and to get Kirova to agree to the moroi leaving 'd made up some story about how Adrian's parents were worried about the safety at the Academy and wanted him, Lissa and Christian to come for a visit. It was a stretch, but with compulsion they were able to get the okay.

I was almost to the plane when I heard my name being called.

"Guardian Belikov. Where are you going?"

I turned around quickly to face the one person I dreaded seeing.

I couldn't think of a good lie, but I didn't want to tell the truth either. The kids were already on the plane so I didn't have to explain that part.

"I'm leaving the academy and going home for a while." I lied hoping she would buy it.

"You're leaving the academy? But why?" "Guardian numbers are low." She said confused.

"I have some things I need to take care of."

"I don't believe you nor do I believe that you had any sort of innocent mentor/student relationship with my daughter." Snapped Janine Hathaway.

I looked away guiltily. She could read me like an open book. I hadn't even tried to hide the fact that I had been crying yesterday when Rose was taken. She had seen my emotions and made the connection.

I sighed. "Janine what do you want from me?" I asked. "We've both had a rough couple of days and I think you should go back to rest you've been through a lot." I said knowing she wasn't going to drop it.

"Not until you tell me the truth Belikov. Exactly what was going on between you and Rose and why are you leaving so abruptly?"

I figured it best to just come out with the truth about where I was going. We were in a hurry and I didn't want her going back to Kirova and asking questions. I didn't know how well the compulsion that Ivashkov used would hold up if she started snooping around.

"We have reason to believe that Rose is still alive. I don't want you to get your hopes up, but I am going to follow a lead and see if I can bring her home." I said.

"Rose is alive?" she gasped.

So I hope you like it so far. Please Review if you like Review if you don't. Does anyone think Janine will kill Dimitri if she finds out about them???


	7. Chapter 7: Explanations

Chapter 7 Explanations

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to Richelle Mead.

DPOV

"How do you know? Who told you that?" she was starting to get worked up.

"Janine you are more than welcome to come with me and I will explain everything to you but I have to ask that if you do you do it as Rose's mother and not as a Guardian." I said glancing back at the plane which was about ready to take off.

"Can you do that?" I asked.

She nodded.

I allowed her to follow me onto the plane.

She gasped at the sight of Lissa, Christian and Adrian sitting in their seats.

"You're taking underage moroi to hunt strigoi?"

"Janine." I warned. "Rose's mother." I repeated to her sternly.

She nodded reluctantly and took a seat in the back of the plane.

"What is she doing here?" asked Lissa.

"She's here to help princess." I said.

"Lissa" she corrected.

"Sorry." Old habits die hard I guess.

As the plane prepared for take off I stowed my bag and went to sit down next to Janine.

She looked confused and distraught, but had not said anything else about the moroi on board,.

"Give it to me straight Belikov or I'll pound you." She growled as I sat down beside her.

This was not going to be easy. I knew she had known about Adrian being a spirit user, but she was skeptical the last time when he had helped us find Rose in Spokane. She also didn't know about Lissa's darkness or Rose being shadow kissed and I didn't really relish explaining to her how I had deflowered her underage daughter in a cabin a few days ago, but here it goes.

"Janine there are some things you need to know about Rose." I started.

She looked at me engaged in what I was saying.

"When Vasilissa and Rose were fifteen and they were in that car accident with the Dragomir's Rose was killed."

She looked at me as if I were crazy, but didn't say anything.

"As you know Lissa is a spirit user her gift is to heal. She did not know it at the time, but she healed Rose after the accident."

"Healed?"

"Well more specifically brought her back from the dead." I said inhaling sharply.

"Rose was dead and they didn't tell me?"

"No one knew that Rose had died. The princess was able to revive her almost immediately. You know about their bond?" I asked.

She nodded. " Like Anna and St. Vladimir?" she asked.

"Yes." I said glad that she had some clue of what I was about to say.

"There are other things that spirit users can do besides heal." I continued.

"Adrian can see Aura's and Lissa can to an extent, but he is far better at it than she is and she is far more talented in healing. Lissa's Aura gets blackness to it when she uses spirit and Adrian noticed that Rose's Aura is nearly all black. He has seen the blackness from Lissa's Aura be absorbed by Rose. Consequently Rose has fits of anger and cannot always control her actions."

"So she's not really as belligerent as everyone says?" she asked

"No she is." I laughed quietly. "She just gets extra juiced up and goes a little bit mad from time to time in addition to her usual outbursts." I explained.

"I see." She said. "Go on."

"Well the princess has been using a lot of spirit lately to heal those injured in the battles. She actually healed me earlier and when she did Adrian was able to see her aura go black. Then the blackness disappeared like it had been taken."

"Where did it go?" she asked.  
"We believe Rose took it. That was our first clue that she was alive."

I didn't know how much of this was new information to Janine or if she'd buy into it, but she seemed to want to at least for the moment so I continued.

"Once we had the idea that Rose was still alive Lissa wanted to see if Adrian could dream walk her. You remember him doing that when they were held captive in Spokane?" I asked.

"Yes." She agreed.

"He was able to go in and talk with her and although she doesn't know where she is being held and she is severely injured she was able to give us enough information to draw a conclusion as to where to begin looking."  
"She really is alive?" she jumped out of her seat.

"You saw her? You talked to her?" she asked walking over to Adrian.

"Yes, Guardian Hathaway. I was able to speak with Rose. She's alive for now, but she's in a lot of danger." He replied sadly.

Then Janine did something I thought I'd never see. She hugged Adrian tightly and began to cry. He looked as shocked as I was but hugged her back trying to comfort her.

I hated to admit this, but the guy wasn't all that bad. I still wanted to beat the hell out of him every time he made an inappropriate comment to Rose though.

"So you still haven't explained to me why you are going through all of this trouble to save her?" she asked looking at me and then at Adrian and Christian.

"Why risk your lives for a novice?" she asked.

"She's my best friend and I can't live without her. She's saved me so many times and given up everything to be my guardian that I can't leave her when she needs me the most." Said Lissa tearfully.

"She's saved my ass more than once and she's one of my dearest friends and I can let her die if there's a chance to save her. She'd do the same for any of us." Said Christian honestly.

"I love your daughter even though most people don't believe that my feelings are true sadly even Rose doesn't believe me." Said Adrian quietly.

Janine looked shocked that the three misfit royal moroi on board this plane had so much kindness and compassion for a dhampir. Most royals thought of dhampirs as slaves one was as good as the next and they were replacable. She seemed confused by the unique friendship they all shared. I was in awe of it myself sometimes.

"Those three are naïve and young and it is understandable that they would go on this suicide mission, but you Guardian Belikov are not young or naïve. What are your reasons?" she asked me as we reclaimed our seats.

This was the part I was dreading.

I took a deep breath and prepared for the wrath of Janine Hathaway. "I love Rose more than anything on earth. I know it is wrong and we have both been trying to fight it for a long time, but I can't and won't lose her now."

I looked up at her trying to gauge her reaction.

She looked stunned. "So when you say love you don't mean like a father loves his daughter or a brother loves his sister or a mentor loves his student do you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, I am IN love with Rose."

She didn't scream or yell or try to break my nose. I thought maybe she hadn't heard me correctly.

"And she feels the same?"

"Yes, she does."

"You know you could be fired and put in prison for this don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, however can no longer pretend that being without her is an option."

"But with you both guarding the princess next year you can't be together."

"I have decided to ask to be reassigned." I told her.

"You would give up being the guardian to the last Dragomir for her?" she asked surprised.

"I would give up anything to be with her." I responded. "It is important that she be the princess's guardian so I've asked to be assigned somewhere else at Court."

"Are you sleeping with her?" she asked gruffly

I can't believe she asked me that. What was with all these nosy people wanting to know the details of our sex life. First the princess and now here mother what's with women.

"Are you?" she repeated.

I exhaled the breath I'd been holding unconsciously "Yes." I admitted.

And then I felt her hand connect with my cheek. She slapped me hard clear across the face. I didn't flinch. I knew I deserved it and more.

She looked at me still angry, but it had begun to fade.

"Rose has grown up a lot this past year. She's seen far too much for someone her age." She said with a sigh.

"You better not hurt her Belikov or I will report you to the school and then hunt your ass down." She said menacingly.

"I would never hurt her." I said softly not quite believing that she's just given me her blessing to be with Rose.

I leaned my head against the back of the seat and the exhaustion from the past few days events took me over I fell into a fitful sleep.

How many of you thought Janine would beat the crap out of him???

Please Review!


	8. Chapter 8: Death is Easy

Chapter 8 Death is easy

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I wish I did, but everything is property of Richelle Mead.

So here is Chapter 8. A few people have mentioned that some of my characters are OOC! It's true, but that is how I like to write it. Sorry the chapters are short, but I have a hard time figuring out where to cut it off. Anyways here's more Adrian for all of you Adrian fans out there. I'm still a huge fan of Dimitri, but sometimes I feel bad for Adrian. Hehe!

RPOV

Adrian had been in my dream for quite a long time. I wondered if the Strigoi were aware of spirit users? I don't know how long I'd been knocked out for, but I groggily came to. I was no longer tied to the chair in fact I seemed to be sprawled out face down across some sort of cot. My eyes fluttered open and I took in my surroundings. It was still dark, but a small bulb shined from somewhere. I was no longer in the same room I'd been in before. It looked like a dungeon. There were stone walls, no windows and besides the small cot I was lying on there was no other furniture or anything in the room just a light bulb strung from the ceiling. I tried to lift myself up and turn over, but I couldn't. I couldn't even move my fingers.

They must have taken so much blood that I was unable to move anything. I had absolutely no control over anything. Although I wasn't hazy anymore. Dizzy oh yes, but my mind was functioning okay. My stomach for the most part felt okay as well at least for the time being. I was starving, but no strigoi were down here with me at the moment. I lay there awake for a while just completely numb. I realized I couldn't speak, I couldn't move any part of my body even a little and that my heartbeat was dangerously slow almost to where it probably wasn't going to beat much longer. I realized slowly that I was dying. They had taken most of my blood and my body was dying. If I could feel anything physically I would think that tears were rolling down my cheeks, but I don't think I had enough energy even to cry.

They said they were going to turn me. Had they forced me to drink blood? I didn't know. At this point I didn't know much of anything. Where were they? Was I going to turn? Would it be painful? If these were my last few minutes on this earth before I turned into something evil what should I be thinking about.

My life literally flashed before my eyes. The good times with Lissa when we were in Portland, meeting Dimitri and the night we spent together in the cabin. Regret for not being on better terms with my mother. Did she even know that I loved her? Sadly I would never get to tell her. I would never find out who my father was. I wouldn't get to graduate and be Lissa's guardian. I hoped Dimitri would take care of her for me. Oh God I wouldn't ever get to see him again. At least he knew I loved him. Hell I would give anything to see any of them one last time. I'd give anything to even see Christian, Eddie, Adrian or even Stan or Kirova at this point. I closed my eyes and waited for death.

What I think was a short while later I heard someone enter the room. More than one person I think. My stomach did not twist in pain, but I think it was because I was so numb. I was too weak to open my eyes so I just listened and waited for them to kill me.

"She isn't awake yet?" barked one of them. "It's been almost two days."

"No I don't understand it I drained her blood and bled at least a gallon of my own down her throat." Said the female. I realized she was the one who had knocked me out earlier. The one who knew Dimitri.

I vaugly had the sensation of my body being lifted off the cot. I was dead weight still unable to move at all.

"She should have awakened by now." She growled.

Oh my God they had tried to awaken me. Maybe the numbness was my body changing to strigoi.

"Do you think it's a delayed reaction?" asked the other.

"There were rumors of her being shadow kissed." He added.

"No she's dead." She hissed.

If I were able I would have gotten up and staked her for saying I was dead, but she was right I probably would be soon.

"She would have awakened hours ago. She's useless to us now."

"What should we do with her?"

"Just leave her here it's not like we are staying here past night fall."

From what I could tell she pitched my body against the far wall and they both left me there to die alone. I had come to terms with the fact that I was going to die and was relieved that I had not sustained the awakening to a strigoi. I thought about my friends and how they were going to search for me. I wondered if they'd ever find my body and if they did would they even know it was me by then.

I was a lost cause I thought maybe if I tried to slip into unconsciousness that Adrian could get to me and I could tell him that it was over and they didn't have to worry anymore.

I fell into unconsciousness quite easily.

I again was at the beach. This time wearing a white eyelet sundress and my feet were bare.

I turned around slowly to see Adrian lumbering towards me. I began to cry the minute he laid his hands on me.

"Little Dhampir you're crying?" he said wiping a tear from my eye with his thumb. "You don't look so good." He commented assessing my body.

"I'm not so good Adrian." I said leaning into him and allowing him to hold me tightly. This was the last time I was going to see him or anyone for that matter. I wanted to soak up as much of him as possible.

"What's wrong you act like you'll never see me never want to be this close to me Little Dhampir. Has something more happened?" he asked pulling back and looking me over again.

I nodded. "They've taken all my blood Adrian. I'm dying. I can feel it. I can't move my limbs or open my eyes. My whole body is numb and my heartbeat is slowing." I said softly gazing into his tearful eyes.

"No, you'll be fine you just need to hold on a little bit longer." We're in Russia. We've got a lead on where you are. You can't leave us. The big badass Russian will hit the roof if I come back and tell him you're gone."

"Adrian I'm sorry. At least they weren't able to change me. They tried, but it didn't work. I'm going to be free soon. Please tell everyone to go home and be safe."

"No, I can't do that. I won't leave you." He cried grabbing me and pulling me closer. I could feel his body shaking with sobs against me. "Please don't leave me. We'll find you I promise. Just don't go." He cried grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to look into his eyes.

"I love you Rose." He said sincerely I could see that his heart was breaking.  
"You have so much to live for you can't go. Lissa needs you, someone needs to put sparky in his place, I need you and the Russian just got permission from Guardian Hathaway to be your boyfriend. You can't give up now." He pleaded.

"Wait what? My mom is with you? Dimitri told her and he's still alive?"

"Yeap your mom seems to be softening. She's been crying and she even hugged me. Although she did slap Belikov when he admitting to sleeping with you." He cracked a small smile.

"Oh my God why'd he tell her that?" What was wrong with him. Who tells a girl's mother when he takes her virginity?

"She made him. But it's okay everything is going to be fine. You'll see." He said.

I wanted to say he was kidding himself, but I bit my tounge.

"Adrian tell my mom and Liss and Dimitri I love them. Say bye to Eddie and Sparky for me. Tell them I'm sorry. And if they find my body burn it." I said.

I felt myself getting weaker and I knew the dream was about to fade. I was about to die.  
"I love you Adrian." He reached out and grabbed my face between his hands and kissed me passionately on the lips as he deepened the kiss I felt a warm tingling sensation almost like when Lissa uses Spirit. He seemed to feel it too, I was about to ask him about it, but he was gone.

Review if you like or if you don't. So this is it for Rose huh? Sucks to be her if it is. So is anyone else dying to read Spirit Bound? I for one hate waiting.


	9. Chapter 9: Escape from Novosbirsk

Chapter 9 Escape from Novosibirsk

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy Everything belongs to Richelle Mead.

So this chapter jumps around a little and lets you know what's going on with Rose and with her rescue party. Enjoy!!! Next chapter is one of my favorite's I can't wait to post it so if this chapter gets really good reviews I will post it asap!

DPOV

We landed in Novosibirsk and had rented a van. Janine was driving. I think it helped keep her mind off Rose. Lissa and Christian were cuddled up in the second seat and in the way back Ivashkov was sprawled out sleeping as well. I hoped he was with Rose. She shouldn't be alone right now. I prayed that we were not going to be too late. The rational part of me said she would either be dead or Strigoi when we got to her.

After about a half an hour Adrian's facial features began to contort as if he were in pain. Tears were leaking out of his eyes while he slept and his breathing was becoming labored. This could not be good. Either he was having a bad dream or something had happened to Rose.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and crept to the back of the van careful not to wake Lissa and Christian. Adrian continued to sob in his sleep and I wanted desperately to wake him and find out what was going on, but I wouldn't tear him away from Rose. Janine just gave me a knowing look from the front of the van and kept driving.

A few minutes later Adrian shot up. The look on his face was pure anguish. I allowed him a minute to compose himself.

"How is she?" I asked quietly wondering if I wanted to know the answer.

He didn't respond right way and I knew that it was bad.

"Were you able to speak with her?"

"Yes. And she's fine!" He snapped rather loudly.

They haven't turned her yet. She's not doing well so we need to get to her quickly. I hope you know where you're going Belikov." He said with an edge in his voice.

I had a feeling he wasn't telling me the whole truth, but I didn't want to hear it if it was worse. I don't think I could handle much more. We were about an hour away from where I thought they may be holding her. The plan was to stake the place out during the early morning when it first became light and then Janine and I would go in fighting and Christian would stay behind to use his firepower to protect the others.

As I sat back and stared blankly out the window at the passing scenery my mind wandered to a few days ago when Rose and I spoke after the attack. She actually thought I regretted what we shared in the cabin. I had done my best to reassure her that was not the case and that I wanted to be with her despite all of the odds against us. And there were many. Getting approval from her mother was a Godsend, but there was still the Academy mainly Kirova, the entire Moroi society, and of course Queen Tatiana herself.

I had phoned a close friend at the Royal Court a few weeks ago to inquire about a change of guardianship for Princess Dragomir. I had yet to hear anything back, but I was hopeful that something could be worked out so I could still be at Court, but would not have to take shifts opposite Rose. If she survived. I sighed and inhaled the stale air inside the van. If she didn't make it out of this alive my duty would be to protect the Princess in her honor. I wouldn't deny her what she wanted not now not ever.

I pondered what type of future we could have with all of the restrictions around us. Of course we would get time off together if we were guarding different Moroi, but it wouldn't be much. We might be able to live relatively close together maybe not in the same house, but within a few minutes walk. Why does life have to be so complicated? I leaned my head back and tried to catch a few minutes sleep.

APOV

I woke up suddenly as if Rose had been ripped away from me. When I kissed her I felt a warm sensation shoot through us. It was a little unnerving. I sat there in silence remembering what she told me. Chances are that she would be dead when we found her, but I had to hold onto the last shred of hope I had left that she would make it through this in one piece. She said that they tried to turn her and failed. She also said that she was now alone. That meant there wouldn't be Strigoi to take on when we got there. That upped our chances of getting her out of there.

She didn't look so good when I saw her though. She was like a walking corpse. Her face was paler than a Strigoi, her body was ice cold and the life was gone from her eyes. It took all I had not to wretch at the sight of her. She didn't look like the strong, healthy, fun loving girl I'd fallen in love with just a month earlier.

She had asked me to tell them goodbye and to give up hope that it was too late, but I couldn't do that. She was everything to me and even though she would never love me the way I loved her I would find her if it was the last thing I did on this earth. I knew if I told the Russian and or Guardian Hathaway the truth that they might abandon the mission. Lissa of course wouldn't give up and would pitch a fit an probably get her way and Christian would follow her to the ends of the earth, but I wanted to be sure so I ended up telling Belikov that she wasn't doing all that well, but they hadn't turned her yet. Which was more or less truthful. She had also been moved into the basement of the dwelling.

The way we had kissed before I left was heartbreaking. I knew she still didn't feel the same about me, but even on her deathbed she was thinking about my feelings instead of hers and she didn't have the heart to push me away. I sighed and lay my head back against the seat. I really needed a drink. I didn't think it would be a good idea though. I needed to be able to dream walk on command so I stayed sober and it was horrible.

RPOV

I opened my eyes slowly and looked around the room. I was confused. Adrian had been with me and then he was gone and my dreams were nothing but darkness. I thought I had died, but as I surveyed my surroundings I realized that life was cruel and I was still in that dungeon of a dark room thankfully alone.

My head was throbbing and I could feel the blood pounding in my neck. Wait I could feel? I wasn't dead. Slowly I attempted to lift my hand. It wasn't easy, but I had some feeling back in my limbs. I managed to put my hand on my head and rub the side of my neck. I could feel it was bruised and crusted with dried blood. Pain shot through the rest of my body as I attempted to bring myself to a sitting position.

It took a while, but I was able to manage it with much difficulty. The pain was almost unbearable. I think I liked it better when I was numb. I sat against the stone wall and tried to regain my strength. I hadn't eaten in I don't know how many days, I had suffered severe blood loss and my throat was parched from lack of water. I should be dead, but I'm not. There was no sign of Strigoi so I stayed where I was and rested my eyes in hopes that I would be able to drag myself to and up the stairs eventually.

I don't know how many hours passed, but I was starting to regain the feeling in my legs. I tried to stand, but it was futile. My left ankle was broken and I had severe gashes covering most of my legs and thighs. If I could only drag myself up those stairs maybe there was a phone or something. It took me an ungodly amount of time and effort, but eventually I managed to pull myself up the stairs. I put my ear against the door and listened. There were no sounds of movement or voices. I quietly pushed the door open a crack and peered out through the opening.

I cringed it was daylight and my eyes were not adjusted to the brightness. My stomach was fine so I knew there weren't Strigoi. I managed to get myself into a somewhat standing position. I glanced around the small one room shack. It was dirty and fairly unfurnished. No electricity that I could see and definitely no phone.

"Just my luck." I muttered under my breath. There was however a small sink and I had to hope that maybe there was some running water. I drug myself over to it and turned on the faucet. The water was a little yellow at first, but it cleared up. I sighed in relief and drank until I wasn't thirsty anymore. There was a small dusty mirror above the sink. I wiped it with the sleeve of my ripped and bloodied shirt and glanced at my reflection.

I gasped at the sight of myself. No wonder Adrian was crying. I looked like the walking dead. I was whiter than a Strigoi and my face was bruised as well as my neck. My hair was snarled and had debris from outside probably from the caves and then being dragged around. My clothing was practically shredded and there was blood and dirt caked over every inch of my body.

I washed my hands and attempted to wash my face, but there wasn't anything for me to use as a cloth so I would just have to stay dirty.

Since it was early daylight time I would have to drag myself outside and find somewhere, anywhere I could come across that had a phone. I didn't even know what country I was in or what the weather would be like. All I knew is that I couldn't stay where I was. I needed to move.

I hobbled uncomfortably to the door and opened it. I was glad to be free of this dump, but as I looked around and saw the nothingness that surrounded me for miles I broke down and cried. When I'd recovered I pulled it together and started walking it didn't really matter what direction, but maybe I could find a road. It was chilly, but manageable because the sun was out. I walked for what seemed like forever and eventually near dusk I could no longer stand up anymore and I passed out.

Well there it is! Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review. Tenth reviewer to this chapter gets a date with Dimitri!! LOL I wish right??


	10. Chapter 10: The Love of a Father

Chapter 10 The Love of a Father

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Although I wouldn't mind owning Dimitri or Adrian for a few days =)

Here it is the infamous Abe Mazur!!! Keep in mind when reading this chapter that we don't know too much about Abe yet. He wanted to marry Janine so he isn't as hardcore mobster as he'd like to think or at least I don't think he is. Who knows???

AbePOV

My cell phone was ringing. Few people had my private number and I was rather irritated that I didn't recognize the number. It was American. Whom did I know in America? No one I wanted to speak with I'm sure.

"Mazur." I answered gruffly.

There was silence on the line.

"Who is this?" I barked irritated at anyone who would have the nerve to call me on my pirvate number no less and not say anything.

"Ibrahim?" came a soft female voice. It sounded very familiar.

"Who is this." I barked in Turkish.

"I repeated my question seriously annoyed."

"It's Janine." She said.

"Oh." I said my voice softening. Janine Hathaway. The love of my life and the mother of my only child. I had been so in love with her when we were young. We'd met in Istanbul and had a whirlwind romance. We were together two years when she told me she was with child. I couldn't have been happier.

We were supposed to meet and run away together to get married and that night she never showed up. Instead she left a note saying she was sorry, but she couldn't give up being a guardian and it was best that I wasn't involved in our child's life.

I had been devastated at this, but she was firm in her decision and hadn't left me much of a choice. I'd forgiven her of course eventually. I couldn't stay angry with her. Part of me still loved her a lot and understood why she wouldn't want me in Rosemarie's life. I'm not really father material.

"How are you?" I asked. She sounded upset.

"Not so good." she replied.

"Tell me what's wrong my sweet?" Even after all these years I still called her the name that I used to have for her when we were together. I was slightly on edge because the last few times she'd called me were to tell me that Rosemarie was missing and or had gotten into a fight.

"Has Rosemarie gotten into more trouble?" I asked.

She broke down in to sobs.

"Janine?" I questioned with concern. She was usually the pillar of strength I don't think I'd ever heard her cry or show any type of raw emotion. I was very disturbed by this. Something terrible must have happened.

"She's gone Ibrahim." she croaked. I knew it. Rosemarie had pulled another one of her disappearing acts. I hoped this time she would be smart enough not to take the princess along with her. Ah Kiz she was so much like me and yet we never met.

"Where to this time?" I sighed exasperated. What she said to me next will forever be burned into my memory.

"No Abe. She's dead." She choked out between sobs.

I couldn't breathe. It was like someone had sucker punched me. How could that have happened. My only daughter one whom I'd never met, but loved to no end had been taken from this life. This is why I had wanted to run away and get married. I didn't want either of my girls to be subjected to the guardian lifestyle. The lives of guardians were short and violent. I didn't want that for Janine and I certainly didn't want that for Rosemarie. I inhaled sharply.

"How did it happen?" As if it mattered.

"Strigoi attack on the school." She managed. "There were more than 50 stirgoi. They broke the wards."

I gasped. Fifty strigoi working together was not something I'd ever heard about. This was historical. Even schools like St. Vladimirs were not safe anymore. What was this world coming to? I wanted to break something.

"You'd be proud she killed at least twenty." she said trying to comfort me I think.

" That's my girl. Going down with a fight." I said softly. I could tell she was hurting and even though I'd never met my daughter I felt as if a part of me died along with her. I'd seen photos that Janine had sent over the years and I donated large amounts of money to her school and asked for updates on her grades and activities.

I pulled out my most recent photo of her. It was before she had run away with the princess. She must have been around fourteen. She was so beautiful and full of life I couldn't believe that she was gone. I would have liked to have met her and gotten to know her. I thought that when she turned eighteen I would be attending her graduation smiling proudly from the crowd. She wouldn't know I was there, but I would be there. I'd seen her from afar once when I'd secretly attended her eighth grade graduation. Janine hadn't even been there. I could have beat her senseless for that. How she could miss her own daughter's graduation was beyond my comprehension.

"I'm sorry." She broke down again.  
"For what my sweet?" I asked even though I knew full well that she would blame herself. She was always so hard on herself as she was on me and I knew on Rosemarie as well.

"For letting you down, for letting Rose down, for keeping her away from you for not protecting her."

It wasn't her fault that Rosemarie was killed, but there wouldn't be anything I could say to comfort her. She would think and do what she wanted as she always did. I was sad because I realized with Rose gone I would probably never hear from Janine again.

"The past is the past Janine. You can't change it." I said. "I must go. Be well my sweet." And I hung up.

I didn't mean to sound insensitive, but I had to get off the phone and away from my guardians for a while. I knew that I wouldn't cry, but I tried not to be emotional at all in front of others it wasn't safe in my business. I couldn't let anyone see me like this. Abe Mazur the most feared non-royal Moroi smashing things and raging out of control out over the death of a daughter he never met and that no one knew he had. What a sight to be seen.

That was three days ago. Now I was traveling with my guardians on the way to Novosibirsk to conduct some business. We had been driving for what seemed like forever when we came across a girl lying in the middle of the road. It was nearly dusk and she was a dhampir. She looked badly beaten and she was dirty and covered in blood. So much so that you couldn't see her face. She had long dark hair and her clothing was torn nearly to shreds.

"Stop the car." I told Pavel.

He pulled the car over to the side of the road and I got out of the car. I approached the girl. She wasn't conscious. I bent down and took her wrist in my hand. She was still alive, but her breathing was shallow and she was ice cold.

"Pavel, Sergei Get a blanket out of the trunk and drape it over the back seat." I yelled.

The sun was nearly gone and it would be dark soon. Strigoi could be lurking anywhere. I couldn't just leave her here to die she looked young maybe seventeen or eighteen.

I sighed. Rosemarie would have been 18 in two weeks. I picked the girl up and carefully placed her across my lap in the back seat. She looked so innocent. She was bleeding from several open wounds. The largest was on her neck. She had been torn up by Strigoi I was sure of it.

"Where are we taking her?" asked Pavel no doubt questioning my sanity for stopping the car at sunset and risking my life to save a young dhampir. I'd never been one to meddle in other people's affairs, but something about this girl tugged at my heart.

"I don't know just drive for now." I said gruffly.

She began to stir, but she did not wake up. She kept mumbling. Belikov.

"Belikov?" asked Pavel "Aren't there Belikov's in Baia?"

"She must know them." I said. Hopefully this was not one of Olena Belikova's daughters I knew she had three and one was a teenager.

I gave him directions and we reached there in a few hours time.

The whole way the girl kept stiring. Her eyes fluttered open at one point, but were closed in an instant.

In a way she reminded me of Rosemarie. This girl looked to have been attacked by Strigoi and had the unfortunate luck to live through it. Her injuries were severe and I wasn't sure even with Olena's help if she'd make it through the night.

We pulled up in front of the Belikova's house and I got out of the car. It was late and my guardians flanked me on either side. Baia was not terribly dangerous, but I didn't take chances.

I knocked on the door and a very surprised Olena greeted me in Russian. We'd met once or twice in passing, but she was shocked to see me and even more so when she saw the girl in my arms.

"I'm sorry. She kept mumbling your last name. I thought maybe you knew her." I said as she ushered me inside. My guardians remained outside.

Three other young women and a small boy came down the stairs and stared at us.

"Abe where did you find this girl?" asked Olena.

"She was lying on the side of the road. I was going to bring her to the nearest academy, but she kept saying Belikov over and over." I said.

She looked puzzled as did the other three girls.

"Set her down on the couch." She said after spreading down a clean sheet.

Sonya, boil some water. Viktoria get me some clean towels and cloths, Karolina get me the first aid kit.

The three girls did what their mother asked.

"Paul go upstairs and sit with Babushka." One of the three girls said to the young boy. He obeyed.

I sat in a chair and watched as she carefully cleaned the girls many wounds and washed the blood and dirt from her face and arms. She was very beautiful under all that dirt.

"Viktoria run and get one of you dressing gowns." Said Olena. "She looks about your size."

"Do you think she'll make it?" I asked wondering why I cared so much for a young girl I'd never met.

"I'm not sure. She has many injuries. Ones I cannot fix. This was definitely a Strigoi attack."

As Olena lifted the girl up and stripped her out of her clothing Viktoria gasped. "She has molnija!" she up the girls's hair to reveal two tiny molnija marks on the nape of her neck.

"She is unpromised." Remarked Olena.

"That's unheard of." I mused. "Novice's don't fight Strigoi and they wouldn't get molnija without a promise mark." I was sure of it.

"That isn't true. I heard about a student from 's Academy that has molnija." Said Viktoria excitedly.

"She was captured by Strigoi and managed to decapitate them with a dull sword." She went on.

"St. Vladimirs is a long way from here Viktoria." Chastised Sonya.

"Well then how else do you explain that she has no promise mark." Viktoria retorted.

"What was this novice's name?" I asked. Maybe she knew Rosemarie I thought hopefully.

"Uh oh I can't remember it was like Rachel or something. Some American name. I think." She said.

Olena laid the girl down. Her breathing was labored and she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Soft moans were all that came from her lips.

"Is there anything else you can do for her?" I asked.

"Not right now. We just have to see if she wakes up."

Aww! Poor Abe he thinks Rose is dead. Please Review! Let me know if you want Abe to break some kneecaps later in the story=) My vote is on Queen Tatiana!!! Anyone??


	11. Chapter 11: Who are You?

Chapter 11 Who are You?

Disclaimer:

Me: I own Dimitri!

Rose: No I own Dimitri!

Tasha: No I own Dimitri!

Me and Rose: Who invited you Tasha??

Lissa: Enough!! Richelle Mead owns Dimitri, but I own Christian!!!

Me: Fine! Have it your way Princess! All characters are property of Richelle Mead!

DPOV

It had been two days since we'd been in Novosibirsk and nothing. We'd staked out several of Galina's former estates and even a few other places we thought they might be hiding her, but we came up empty.

The last place we tried was a dilapidated old shack three hours outside of town. It had been empty, but Lissa had insisted on coming inside as well as Adrian.

We were all exhausted, but when we entered the basement Adrian let out a low growl. "This is it." He said. "She was here. This is exactly the place she described to me in her last dream. Look there's blood on that mattress over there." He said.

Lissa walked over and took a deep whiff of the blood. "Oh my God Rose." She cried.

"She was here. I can smell her." She cried tears running down her cheeks.  
I chanced a glance at Janine. She looked tired and worried. She and I both knew with the amount of blood that was all over the mattress, the wall and the floor that it was impossible that she would have recovered from that.

I sighed. "We should go. She isn't here anymore and there's so much blood." I said.

Christian who had been silent for a while looked deep in thought. "There's blood on the bed and on that wall over there and there's blood leading over to the stairs." He said.

I followed his gaze and he was correct there was blood on the stairs.

"It looks like hand prints." Said Adrian.

"She's alive." Cried Lissa. "The blood smells the same."

We followed the bloody hand prints up the stairs and saw a small sink in the corner of the upstairs room. There was blood all over it like someone had tried to wash it off.

"She must have left." Said the princess.

"Then where is she?" asked Janine.

"There's so much blood she couldn't have gotten too far and if she was out there alone and hurt it's possible Strigoi found her again." She said sadly.

I was thinking the same, but I didn't want to believe it. Oh what my Roza must be going through right now. I thought. Then I had another thought. Maybe she didn't crawl out of her as a Dhampir. What if she had left here Strigoi? My stomach lurched and I excused myself to throw up outside. I stood up against the side of the small shack and wondered if when I saw my Roza again if it would be to kill her in her undead state of being. I took a cleansing breath and returned to the others.

"Let's do a search of the area." Christian suggested. I agreed warily not knowing what we would find in the daylight at least. We were all very tired, but even so I got behind the wheel of the van and we started to search the streets in the middle of nowhere. Please just let her be alright. I thought. I can't live without her. It was sad that I would wish for her death, but it was preferable to her being Strigoi. I knew she didn't want that.

ABEPOV

Olena and her daughters had gone upstairs to rest and I had maintained watch over the girl until I'd fallen asleep in the chair I was sitting in.

It was early morning and I could hear Olena in the kitchen. The others were awake and downstairs as well. There was a fourth this time and older woman. I believe her to be Yeva Belikova. Olena's mother. She was rumored to be a psychic and a witch.

She was leaning over the girl examining her thouroughly.

"Something is odd about this one." She muttered in Russian before glaring at me as she exited the room. No doubt she'd heard of me and my business dealings in Baia.

The girl began to stir. She opened her eyes. She scanned the room quickly as if looking for someone or something. She was looking for Strigoi I'll bet. She's a smart one. She had to be to survive what she did.

"Ah you are awake little girl." I said to her in Russian.

She looked at me closely and realizing I was Moroi she relaxed a bit.

"How are you feeling you gave us quite a scare." Said Olena coming into the room.

The girl sat up a little and looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Would you like some water or something to eat?" asked Olena.

The girl looked around the room. By this time Sonya, Karolina and Viktoria had joined us in the living room. The boy was not with them.

"Abe does she speak Russian?" asked Olena.

"I think not." I replied. She didn't look Russian. She had dark skin and even darker hair. If I could pin point it I would say she came from the same area as myself by her looks.

"Are you American?" blurted out Viktoria in English.

The girl seemed to relax at that.

"Yes I am from Montana." She replied. "I don't speak whatever language you're speaking."

She apologized. Well I guess I was wrong about her being from Turkey.

"Do you know where you are?" I asked her. She had been calling out the Belikov's name. I wondered if she knew them even if they didn't know her.

"Russia?" she guessed

"That's right." I said.

"Who are you all?" she asked looking from one to the next. So she doesn't know them.

"You don't know them?" I asked pointing to the Belikova women.

She shook her head. "Should I?" she asked.

"You were calling their name out when I found you." I said moving over to sit in the chair closest to her.

"I'm sorry forgive me. My name is Abe Mazur." I said realizing I had forgotten my manners. She was a scared child and I didn't want her to be uncomfortable. I must be a sight for her. I knew that most people feared my appearance as well as my name and most of the time I preferred it that way. This was not one of those times.

"I'm Olena Belikova and these are my daughters Karolina, Sonya and Viktoria." Olena introduced herself.

The girls' eyes went wide at the introduction. So she does know them. She looked around the room her eyes settling on the photographs above the fireplace.

"You're his family." She said shakily.

"Whose family?" asked Olena.

"Dimitri's." the girl said with a look of hope in her eyes. "I was probably calling for him in my sleep." She admitted awkwardly a slight blush covering her pale cheeks.

"You know Dimka?" asked Viktoria.

"He's my mentor at St. Vladimir's." she responded. Her eyes said so much more though. He meant something to her I could tell.

"Dimka is at St. Vladimir's?" asked Olena with a gasp.

"Yes for about a year now." The girl said.

"He's so busy. We haven't seen or spoken to him in a long time." She said sadly.

"We're very excited to hear that he is alive and well." She said.

"Wasn't St. Vladimir's attacked by Strigoi?" I asked. Maybe she wasn't there for that.

"Yes." She all but choked out tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"That's when I was taken." She said.

"Taken?" I asked

"Taken by Strigoi. They tried to kill me but I got away." She said. Her eyes looked haunted.

"Well you are safe now." Said Olena.

"What's your name little girl?" I asked her. There were very few female novices anymore perhaps I'd heard of her.

"My name is Rose." She said quietly.

"Rose?" I nearly choked on my own tongue when she said that. I looked her up and down. How could I have not seen it? Her brown eyes her tan skin. Her facial features.

"Rose what?" I asked.

"Rosemarie Hathaway." She said.

I nearly jumped on her at this admission.

Tears began to form in my eyes.

"Rosemarie?" I said coming closer to her. She looked confused as to why I would have such a reaction to her name.

I reached over and pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "We thought you were dead." I breathed embracing her lightly to avoid her injuries.

"You know me?" she asked uncomfortably.

I realized then that all the women in the room were staring at me. "Well I feel like I do." I said reaching into my wallet and pulling out my photos or her spanning from birth to age 14.

She gasped and the Belikova's looked confused.

"Where did you get those?" she asked backing away from me slightly. She wasn't afraid of me I could see that, but she didn't know what to think.

Here goes nothing I thought.

"Janine sent them to me." I told her.

"My mother? Why would she do that? I'm surprised she even had a picture of me let alone sent them to anyone else." She said sarcastically. I was taken aback at her low opinion of her mother.

"Rosemarie your mother and I were involved when we were younger and well…" I trailed off hoping she would get the idea.

" Wait you and my mother were involved and she sends you pictures of me why would she do that unless you were my…" her eyes widened.

"You're my father?" she squeaked pure shock flashing across her face. Probably trying to figure out how Janine and I were ever a couple.

" I am." I said quietly.

"Then she broke down into sobs and threw herself into my arms."

"Thank you for finding me." She said.

It felt so good to have her in my arms I doubted that I'd ever let her go.

After our reunion Olena went into the other room to finish cooking Sonya and Karolina brought Rose some food.

"She ate a few bites and drank a glass of water, but she still looked horribly pale and she was in a lot of pain. I knew she had internal injuries. I could tell she had a broken rib that had possibly punctured one of her lungs."

She didn't complain though. I was sure she had a high tolerance for pain that most guardian's developed over the years, but she was still young and it surprised me how composed she seemed.

"Do you have a phone?" asked Rosemarie.

"Yes of course." I said handing her my cell phone.

She picked it up and dialed a number. Which reminded me I should call Janine and let her know what happened.

So what did you think of Abe and Rose's reunion??? Who is Rose going to call? Janine? Lissa? Dimitri? Kirova? Adrian?

Question: What do you think the Galina and Nathan (the Strigoi) should do now that they don't have Rose as an option? I haven't figured that part out yet so any suggestions may be taken into consideration.

Please Review!!!


	12. Chapter 12: Found

Chapter 12 Found

Disclaimer:

Me: Can I please have Adrian? Just for a little while?

Richelle Mead: No he belongs to me. You can have Christian.

Me: Yuck no thanks!

Lissa: Hey!!

Richelle Mead owns Everything I own Nothing=(

DPOV

We searched everywhere. There was no sign of Rose anywhere and Adrian had been trying to get into her dreams for the past twelve hours without luck. Either she was awake, Strigoi or she was dead. Either way we were no better off than when we first started.

We had checked into a motel in Novosibirsk for the night. We would head out again early in the morning. Five people in one hotel room was not comfortable, but it was the only way to ensure the safety of the Moroi. No one had gotten much sleep in the last few days and at the moment Lissa, Christian and Adrian were fast asleep. Lissa was tossing and turning though. I felt for her. I knew it must be hurting her to be away from Rose for so long. They'd never been apart this long in their entire lives.

I had nearly dozed off in the chair while Janine was patrolling when my cell phone rang.  
The number was definitely not coming from America. I wondered who it could be.

"Belikov." I answered bruskly I wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone right now.

"Comrade?"

My heart leapt into my throat. There was only one person in the world that could get away with calling me that.

"Roza?" I questioned. She was sobbing.

"Roza where are you? Roza answer me." There was noise in the background and she started coughing and wheezing uncontrollably. "Roza where are you?" I repeated. "Tell me Roza I need to find you." I pleaded. My heart was breaking she sounded like she was suffocating.

"Dimka?" another voice came on the line. It was familiar and they called me by my Russian nickname.

"Dimka are you there?"

"Who is this?"

"It's me your little sister you dumbhead." She said in Russian.

"Viktoria?"

"Of course silly. Now come home we found someone who belongs to you." She said.

"Rose is Rose okay?" I asked. "How did she end up with you?"

"Abe Mazur found her on the side of the road and brought her here last night. She's in really bad shape Dimka. You better come quick."

"Two hours." I said. "And take care of her."

I set my phone down, went into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I let myself break down for a minute as emotion overtook me. Rose was alive. She was not Strigoi and even though she was injured severely she was in the safety and care of the people I loved. If I had been a religious man I would have gotten on my knees and thanked the Lord for answering my prayers.

I pulled myself together, washed my face and then went out to wake the Moroi. It would have been better if we could wait until daylight to travel, but her injuries were too severe and we needed to leave immediately.

I flipped on the lights in the room and started gathering our stuff together.

"Dimitri what's going on?" asked Lissa rubbing her eyes.

"Get everyone up princess Rose has been found."

"Alive?" she gulped.

"Yes, alive." I said. "Now let's go."

I saw the relief in her eyes as she got up and woke the other two.

Five minutes later all three Moroi and Janine were ready to go.

"How did she end up with your family?" asked Janine. I was driving and she was in the passenger seat.

"Apparently a local Moroi found her and brought her to my family to take care of her."

"She's very lucky someone found her and took the time to do that."

"I agree especially when they told me who it was that found her." I replied.

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"A well known mobster in these parts Abe Mazur." I said running a hand through my uncombed hair.

She gasped.

"Ibrahim found her?"

As if on cue her cell phone rang.

"Abe? You found her?" she cried.

The man on the other line said something and then Janine broke down into sobs.  
"Thank you Abe you don't know how much this means to me." She said softly.

"We'll be there soon. Take care of her for me."

She hung up and we all looked at her with concern.

"How do you know Abe?" I asked.

"It's a long story for another time." She replied. I didn't push it because all I could think about was getting to Rose.

APOV

"Adrian wake up!" a very shrill voice interrupted the first real sleep I'd had in days. Not being able to medicate myself with alcohol has been taking a toll on my body. Dream walking took a lot out of me and usually upon waking I'd have a strong shot of Russian vodka to take the edge off. It had been days since I'd touched the stuff. I literally felt like I was going mad.

"What is it Lissa?" I groaned rolling over and cracking an eye open to look at her. She was ecstatic.

"They found Rose." She screamed at me. "Get up we have to go."

She said they'd found Rose not they found Rose's body so I was hoping upon hope that she had been found alive and would be able to stay that way until Lissa and I could heal her.

I'd been working on my healing and had been getting better at it lately. Not as good as Lissa, but better than before.

I jumped out of bed pulled on my overcoat ran my fingers through my disheveled hair and grabbed my bag.

The car ride was unbearably long. It would take around two hours to get to Baia. Belikov had explained that Abe Mazur had found Rose on the side of the road and she'd been mumbling Belikov's name so he'd brought her to the Belikov's home in Baia. Abe Mazur had quite a reputation among the Moroi. He was not a royal, but he commanded a lot of respect and was quite wealthy. His business dealings were shady and I suspected illegal, but he'd never been convicted of anything.

Janine Hathaway seemed to know him. She had cried while speaking to him on the phone. I wondered how such a straight laced Guardian had anything to do with someone like Mazur. I'd never met the man, but my father had told me to be careful if I ever did. He had found Rose and taken care of her so I think maybe he wasn't such a bad guy.

My mind wandered to a few days ago when I'd last been able to contact Rose in her dreams. She had been so sick and weak. I wondered how she was now. It brought a tear to my eyes just thinking about it. At the shack when we found her blood I was nearly ill at the sight. I thought for sure that the hand prints had been cause by her being dragged up those stairs instead of her crawling away. I hadn't of course shared that with the others. None of them knew how severely she was injured. Belikov would probably kick my ass when he saw her.

If Rose comes out of this alive I was going to make her a promise. I would not stop loving her or stop wanting to be with her, but I would stop the illicit comments, I would dress her appropriately when I went into her dreams and I would try to get along with the Russian. I realize that not having her in my life would not be acceptable for me. I wanted more than anything to be with her, but if I couldn't have that then I would most definitely try to be the best friend to her I possibly could.

Sorry this was short, but I wanted to give you their side of it before we hear from Rose.

You likey? You no likey? Let me know! I am as usual clueless.

Also, don't you love it that even though some of you hate Adrian I make you want to like him?

Please Review!!!


	13. Chapter 13 Reunited

Chapter 13: Reunited

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy and or its plot line or characters. If I did I'd assassinate Queen Tatiana! =)

So here it is! The long awaited Reunion .. Tell me if it lives up to your expectations???

RPOV

The last thing I remembered was falling to the ground on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. I opened my eyes and I was no longer outside and it was daylight. I glanced around the room quickly making sure that I had not been captured by Strigoi again. I was pretty sure I hadn't been. I was lying on a nice comfy couch in a very pretty living room. There were family photos all over the mantle of the fireplace. I had been cleaned up, bandaged and changed into what looks like a white nightgown of some sort. It definitely wasn't mine, but it was clean and it was warm. I was covered with light blanket as well. I shifted my eyes to the other end of the room and came across a man staring at me. He had dark hair and dark eyes and he wore flashy clothing and jewelry. He looked exhausted. I could tell right away that he was Moroi and I relaxed a little.

The man looked at me curiously and said something in what I think was Russian. I didn't understand him. It sounded a lot like when Dimitri spoke in Russian though.

A middle aged woman came into the room and said something to me also in Russian.

She was a very pretty dhampir. I looked at her, but didn't know what to say.

She spoke again very rapidly and I again said nothing.

I looked around the room. Three other younger Dhampir girls and a small boy had joined us in the living room.

The older woman said something to the Moroi man. I was getting frustrated with not being able to understand them. I think they were friendly from what I could make of their gestures, but the Moroi man looked like a mobster so I couldn't be sure.

He said something and shook his head in negation.

"Are you American?" blurted out the youngest girl in English.

Oh thank God someone here speaks English I thought. That calmed my already frayed nerves a little.

"Yes I am from Montana." I replied "I don't speak er whatever language you're speaking."

I apologized.

"Do you know where you are?" the man asked me. His voice was actually quite pleasant for someone who looked like he did.

"Russia?" I guessed

"That's right." He replied.

"Who are you all?" I asked looking from one to the next. I didn't want to be rude, but I really needed some answers.

"You don't know them?" the man asked pointing to the women. He seemed surprised. Why would he ask me that? I clearly didn't even know where I was how could I know them?

I shook my head. "Should I?" I asked. I still felt very tired and I knew I had some really severe injuries. I was getting more than a little frustrated with the questions.

"You were calling their name out when I found you." he said moving over to sit in the chair closest to me.

Wait he was the one who found me? Wow a Moroi had risked himself in the dark to save a lowly Dhampir off the side of the road. This guy must either be nuts or he has an ulterior motive.

"I'm sorry forgive me. My name is Abe Mazur." He said realizing I didn't know who he was yet either.

"I'm Olena Belikova and these are my daughters Karolina, Sonya and Viktoria." the woman introduced herself. The boy is Paul. He is Karolina's son.

My eyes went wide at the introduction. Oh my God I'm in Baia This is Dimitri's family. I nearly cried at my good luck. I looked at the photos on the mantle a little closer and recognized the boy in the pictures as Dimitri as a child.

"You're his family." I said shakily. I never thought I would meet them and to meet them looking like this was just my luck.

"Who?" asked Olena.

"Dimitri's." I hoped I was right and this was his family and I wasn't making an ass out of myself. "I was probably calling for him in my sleep." I admitted awkwardly.

"You know Dimka?" asked Viktoria her eyes lit up at the sound of his name.

I shook my head. "He's my mentor at St. Vladimir's." I responded. I didn't want to tell them about our romantic relations. He might not want them to know. He's probably ashamed to tell them he had fallen in love with some lowly underage Dhampir girl.

"Dimka is at St. Vladimir's?" asked Olena.

"Yes for about a year now." I said. They didn't even know where he was. I thought he said he was close with his family.

"He's so busy. We haven't seen or spoken to him in a long time." She said sadly.

"We're very excited to hear that he is alive and well." She said.

"Wasn't St. Vladimir's attacked by Strigoi?" Abe asked. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I thought back to the day of the attack and everything after it. God how I missed Dimitri and my friends.

"Yes." I choked out.

"That's when I was taken."

"Taken?" he asked

"Taken by Strigoi. They tried to kill me, but I got away." I said remembering how the woman had said she'd forced a gallon of her blood down my throat. I shuddered. I didn't want them to know about that.

"Well you are safe now." Said Olena.

"What's your name little girl?" He asked me.

"My name is Rose." I said quietly.

"Rose?" he nearly choked on his own tongue at the sound of my name. Why was he so interested in me? I know he saved me and all, but he looked like he was mental.

"Rose what?" he asked.

"Rosemarie Hathaway." I said.

He looked as if he was going to cry.

"Rosemarie?" he said coming closer to me. I looked at him curiously.

He reached over and pushed a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "We thought you were dead." He breathed embracing me. I was definitely perturbed at his gesture. How did he know me and who told him I was dead and why is this guy who looks like a mobster hugging me.

"You know me?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Well I feel like I do." he said reaching into his wallet and pulling out some photos.

I gasped they were all photos of me. Some were as old as when I was an infant and the newest was when I was probably around fourteen. Some were school pictures and the others were taken by an unknown source. This is getting creepy.

I looked over at Dimitri's family they looked as confused as I was.

"Where did you get those?" I asked backing away from him slightly. I wasn't afraid of him exactly, but I wanted to know who he was.

"Janine sent them to me." He said.

"My mother? Why would she do that? I'm surprised she even had a picture of me let alone sent them to anyone else." I said sarcastically. Why would she send picture of me to a stranger and where did she even get these pictures she never seemed like the type to carry a photo of me in her wallet let alone send a dozen of them to some strange Moroi mobster man.

"Rosemarie your mother and I were involved when we were younger and well…"

He was with my mother what the hell did he do with my mother. He looked like a criminal certainly Janine Hathaway wouldn't have been involved with someone like him, but then why did he say he got the photos from her. I am so confused and my lungs feel like they are about to collapse.

" Wait you and my mother were involved and she sends you pictures of me why would she do that unless you were my…" Oh my God! I'm a baby mobster.

"You're my father?" I squeaked.

" I am." He said quietly.

I had been dying to find out who he was forever and it was so strange that he'd stayed away so long and that now of all the times he could have shown up the one time I really needed someone he had come through for me.

The stress of all of this was too much for me. The pain of everything was crushing me. I broke down and threw myself into his arms.

"Thank you for finding me." I sobbed. I knew I must seem like a lunatic for hugging a man I didn't know, but I needed someone, anyone right now.

He held me tight and whispered some things in a foreign language in my ear.

I was tired so he let me lay down and Dimitri's sisters brought me some food and water. I wasn't able to each much I was in so much pain. I still think I am going to die.

I needed to get to Lissa so she could heal me. I needed a phone.

"Do you have a phone?" I asked Abe.

"Yes of course." He said handing me his cell phone.

I dialed Dimitris' familiar number and waited as it rang.

"Belikov." His familiar and comforting voice came across the phone.

"Comrade?" I managed to get out before I was sobbing so hard I couldn't breathe. I starting to cough so hard that blood came out. I could hear Dimitri's worried voice on the other end of the line but I couldn't stop coughing long enough to say anything else.

"Who are you trying to talk to?" asked Viktoria.

"Dimitri." I managed. She took the phone from me and then I blacked out. I vaguely felt Abe catch me before I hit the floor.

ABEPOV

Rosemarie had used my phone to call not her mother but Belikov. I knew there must be something between them. The look on her face when he answered the phone was one of relief, comfort and dare I say love. She was only able to get out one word "Comrade" she had said.

I didn't really understand what that word meant or why she called him that. I'd have to remember to look it up later. At the sound of his voice she began to sob uncontrollably which caused her to begin coughing violently. If I had thought before that her broken rib had punctured a lung I was now sure it had because she was coughing up blood. Her eyes were terrified as she allowed Viktoria to take the phone out of her hand and then she fainted. I barely made it to her before she crumpled to the ground.

"Rosemarie. Please wake up. I tried softly shaking her, but she didn't open her eyes."

Olena came over and helped me lift her back onto the couch.

"It's as I suspected." She said.

"Punctured lung?"

"Yes. She needs a doctor."

"I'll make some calls." I said. I then called Janine who was on her way. Then I called a few of my contacts to see if they could locate a oroi doctor nearby. The nearest one was three hours away. I didn't know if we should wait for her mother to get there or chance moving her now. I decided to wait.

When it had been nearly two hours and she was still out cold I began to get frantic with worry. I should have rushed her to that doctor as soon as she fainted.

"I just found you please don't leave me." I whispered to her softly in Turkish as I held her hand in mine. Then I waited. I didn't know what I would do if she didn't make it through this. I'd just met her. I wanted time to get to know her and be a part of her life.

DPOV

The drive seemed to take forever when in reality it had been only a little over two hours. As we pulled up in front of my childhood home I sprang from the van faster that I would have ever thought possible and ran up the front steps.

As much as Janine wanted to see if her daughter was okay we had decided that it would be better for her to wait in the car with the Moroi to protect them while I assessed her condition.

I didn't bother to knock as this was still and would always be my home. I was somewhat aware that I'd passed two of Abe Mazur's guardians patrolling the house as I went in.

I burst through the door quite ungracefully. My mother was standing in the kitchen as was my eldest sister Karolina. They both looked at me with awe. It had been five years since I'd been home. Last time they saw me I had been a teenager. Mama I breathed embracing her tightly.

We greeted each other warmly in Russian.

"Oh Dimka. You've grown into such a handsome man." She said as she embraced me tightly..

"Thank you Mama." I hugged her back tightly and then Karolina.

"Where is Rose?" I asked not meaning to be rude, but I needed to see her for myself.

"Dimka, it's not good." Said my mother softly. Her eyes were lined with worry.

"She has many injuries her ribs are broken and she has a punctured lung and the blood loss." She continued nearly in tears.

"It's going to be alright mama." I said wiping the tears from her eyes. She didn't know that I had two spirit healers waiting outside in the car. I just hoped that we were in time for the princess to work her magics.  
"She's in the living room with Abe." Said Karolina.

I walked swiftly into the living room and my heart stopped at the sight that was before me.  
My sweet Roza was badly injured, she was so pale, her neck had heavy bandages covering the bite, her leg was elevated and I could see the un natural angle her ankle was twisted into. She had scrapes and cuts everywhere. He breathing was shallow and labored and she looked feverish.

Abe Mazur was sitting next to her with her hand clutched in his. He looked up at me as I entered the room. The look on his face was pure anguish. I wondered why he cared so much. I'd met him once before when I was a novice and he had seemed very unwelcoming. Many feared the sound of his name, but I wasn't one of them.

"Guardian Belikov." He greeted me without rising from his seat. He seemed to be searching my face for something.

"Mr. Mazur." I nodded in acknoledgement. I was slightly irritated at the way he was clutching my Roza's hand. That was my job. Who was he to touch her like that?

I moved to where she was and sat down on the couch careful not to injure her further. He reluctantly let go of her hand and moved over so we had more space.

"Roza? Can you hear me?" I asked taking her free hand in mine leaned down and whispered in her ear.  
"We're here for you Rose. Your mother and Lissa and Adrian are in the car. Even Christian is here." I said quietly enticing her to awaken. I breathed in her scent greedily nuzzling her neck with my nose. "Please come back to me my Roza."

She stirred a little and opened her eyes weakly.

"Comrade?" she whispered.

I sighed in relief as her sweet voice reached my ears.I don't think I've ever been happier in my life than in this moment. She squeezed my hand weakly to show me that she was fighting her injuries.

"Я тебя люблю." I said kissing her softly on her forehead. "You have no idea how worried we've been about you."

"I love you too Comrade." She said with a small smile.

"Hold on okay. I'm going to go get the princess so she can heal you." I caressed her cheek with my hand wiping away a stray tear that had escaped her eyes.

I didn't want to leave her and I had to tear my hand away from her. "Roza you have to let go." I said when she wouldn't release my hand. "I promise I'll be right back." She sighed and released my hand.

I turned around and my whole family was standing around me with shocked looks on their faces.  
I guess she hadn't told them about us. I'd have to fill them in later. Boy was I going to get it. The only bad thing about growing up in a house full or woman was that they were so damn nosy.

I just gave my family a knowing look and went ouside to get the others.

"Is she okay? How bad is it?" asked Lissa the second I reached the van.

"It's pretty bad Princess, but I think she will be okay if you go in and heal her." I said.

"Ivashkov she might need help."

He nodded at me and the three Moroi got out of the car Lissa ran the whole way and almost broke the door down on her way in she was so eager to see Rose.

Janine and I followed close behind. I could see that she wasn't quite relaxed yet. She was still very worried about Rose, but I think something else was bothering her as well.

**He He He!!! I am so evil!!! **

**Review and I'll update Soon=)**

**Still stuck on Strigoi ideas..Any suggestions?**


	14. Chapter 14:Spiritual Healing

Chapter 14: Reunions (Lissa & Adrian & Janine)

DPOV

The princess burst into the room and all but threw herself at Rose.

"Lissa be careful her injuries." Warned Adrian as he came up behind her.

"Liss, Liss I can't breathe." groaned Rose.

"OH my God Rose! What did they do to you?" Gasped Lissa surveying the damage. Tears flew down her cheeks.

"It's nothing." Rose said coughing a little.

"Now get to healing." She said trying to sound stern, but her voice was shaky and weak.

My family was standing in the back of the room quietly watching and Abe Mazur had not moved from his position. Worry was etched into his face. His eyes widened when he heard Rose say get to healing.

"I inhaled deeply and Lissa raised he hand to Rose's Neck and closed her eyes. She then placed her other hand over her chest and concentrated deeply. After a few minutes I could see that it was draining her. Rose looked somewhat better, but not fully healed. The princess looked as if she were going to collapse.

"Lissa, let me." Said Adrian stepping closer and pulling Lissa away from Rose. She tried to protest, but was too weak. She stepped aside and Christian took her into his arms as she collapsed from exhaustion.

"Adrian lay his hands on Rose's ankle and her legs using the same look of concentration as Lissa had."

After a minute or two the color returned to Rose's cheeks and her breathing returned to normal.

As Ivashkov stepped away looking exausted he fell into the chair on the opposite side of the room.

"Roza?" I questioned. She sat up straight rubbing her eyes. "Good as new Comrade." She said with a smile. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

I let out the breath I had been holding in. She was alright. We were all here safe with my family. She looked up suddenly at something behind me. I turned my head slightly to see what she was looking at.

"Mom?" she questioned seeing Janine who had stepped out from behind me to get a better look at Rose.

Janine didn't hesitate. She had Rose in her arms in two seconds flat. They embraced tightly both crying tears of happiness.

Abe Mazur had an odd look of amazement on his face as he watched Rose who had been nearly dead come back to life good as new. But when he saw Janine step forward to embrace Rose he began to smile. He never took his eyes off them.

I looked around the room. My sisters and my mother were confused as they should be. Abe was still staring at Rose and Janine. Lissa had come to and was crying softly while Christian soothed her. Adrian was sitting in the arm chair staring blankly at the wall. He looked exhausted.

Mama can you get some water for the princess? I asked. She nodded and went to the kitchen.

I crossed the room to where my mother kept the liquor and grabbed a glass filling it with strong Russian Vodka I walked over and handed it to Ivashkov who looked at me in surprise.

"Thanks." He mumbled downing the glass in one gulp. I then went over to explain about spirit users to my family.

LPOV

As soon as Dimitri gave the oka,. I jumped out of Christian's arms and ran to the house. I nearly plowed over an old lady on the way in but I didn't care. I was anxious to see Rose. It had been over a week that she had been missing and it was the longest time we'd spent apart since we were toddlers.

I saw her on the couch in the corner of the living room. She looked just awful. I couldn't contain myself as I threw my arms around her holding her so tight.

"Lissa be careful her injuries." Warned Adrian as he came up behind me.

"Liss, Liss I can't breathe." I pulled back and took a good look at her up close. I couldn't believe how badly she was injured. How could she have survived such a horrible ordeal. I couldn't stop the tears that began to flow freely down my face. My best friend in the world was in so much pain. I had to help her.

"Oh my God Rose. What did they do to you

"It's nothing." Rose said coughing a little. She was being brave for me. She was always putting my needs before hers even when she was so sick. God I loved her so much. I shuddered at how close I'd come to losing her. I couldn't lose her.

"Now get to healing." She said trying to tough, but I could tell that she was scared."

I put my hands on her and I could feel the magic building up and flowing from my hands into her body. I concentrated very hard. She was so weak and I could feel my strength waning. Just as I felt like I couldn't go on any longer I felt Adrian's hand on my shoulder.

"Lissa let me." He said helping me as I fell into Christian's strong arms. I think that is when I passed out.

When I came to I was still crying and Christian was holding me tightly on the floor. Adrian was in the arm chair in the corner with a glass of what was probably Vodka and Rose's mom was with her. Dimitri and his family were standing off to the side talking softly in Russian. Then there was Abe Mazur. He was just standing in the corner watching Rose and her mom with a strange look on his face. If I had to take a guess I'd say it was love.

I looked from Rose to Abe and then back again. He was Moroi he looked to be Turkish with darker than average skin for a Moroi. His eyes were brown and his hair was dark.

I gasped. Janine knew him. He was so concerned for Rose's life. He'd stayed with her even after he'd gotten her to the Belikov's safely and he was looking at them with love in his eyes.

Abe was Rose's father I just knew it.

I was staring at him in awe with my jaw hanging wide open when he looked over at me.

"Princess Dragomir" he greeted me. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I couldn't stop staring at him.

He must have realized that I'd made the connection because he brought his index finger to his lips and motioned for me not to say anything.

I just nodded.

RPOV

Everything happened so quickly I couldn't keep up. Dimitri was here. He was here with me and he was holding my hand whispering his love for me. He wanted me to wake up. I was trying so hard to fight.

My eyes opened and I saw him there with me. The love in his eyes was unmistakable. One look into his eyes and I knew everything was going to be alright.

"Comrade?" I whispered.

I sqeezed his hand weakly to show him that I was alright.

"Я тебя люблю Roza." He said kissing me softly on her forehead. "You have no idea how worried we've been about you."

"I love you too Comrade." I said with a small smile.

"Hold on okay. I'm going to go get the princess so she can heal you." He said caressing my cheek with his warm hand wiping away a stray tear that had escaped my eyes.

I didn't want him to leave me and I gripped his hand tighter. "Roza you have to let go." He said "I promise I'll be right back." I looked into his eyes and felt that he was telling the truth so I grudgingly released my grip on his hand.

I glanced over at Abe he didn't seem surprised at our affection, however Dimitri's family sure did. I cringed. What if they didn't accept us? What if they didn't like me? They were so nice, but would they continue to be nice to me now that they knew I was with him? Maybe they didn't think I was good enough. I nearly slipped back into unconsciousness when I felt Lissa crushing me in her arms.

It felt so strange for her to be so much stronger than I was. Although almost anyone would be stronger than me right now.

"Be careful of her injuries." I heard Adrian's voice and I nearly burst out into tears. They had really all come for me.

"Liss Liss I can't breathe." I squeaked.  
She released me and gasped.

"Oh my God Rose! What have they done to you?"

"It's not that bad." I said trying to reassure her I could feel her anxiety, fear and compassion coming through the bond.

As she put her hands over me I could feel her magic and the wonderful feeling it gave her shoot through the bond. All too quickly though I could feel her exhaustion. I was breathing better so I knew that my lung had been fixed.

Lissa was about to pass out when Adrian took over for her and as he put his hands on me I felt whole again. Everyone I loved was in this room. Well everyone except my mother. Then as I sat up I saw her come out from behind Dimitri.

"Mom?" I sad weakly. And in that moment despite all the other people in the room the only person's arms I wanted wrapped around me were my mother's. She stepped forward and embraced me tightly. We cried together for what seemed like an eternity. I could hear the others going about their business around us but I didn't care. She was the one person that I loved so much, but had never told her.

"I love you Mommy." I sobbed into her strong shoulder. "I love you to Rose don't you ever think that I didn't." she said holding me even tighter. "You are the most important person in this world to me Rosemarie." She whispered stroking my hair softly. "I thought you were gone and I'd never have the chance to tell you that."

"Thank you." I stuttered.

"For what? I haven't been there for you." She said softly.

"For sending me to become a guardian." I replied. "That was the best choice for us." I said pointing to her, me and Abe.

She then seemed to notice that he was in the room.

"Janine." He greeted her.

"Ibrahim." She replied. "You told her?"

He nodded and she smiled at him.

The way they were looking at each other was beginning to resemble the way Lissa and Christian looked right before they started to make nice. I nearly gagged.

"Er uh awkward." I said and disentangled myself from my mother's arms.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk." I said winking at my mother. "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."

They both stared at me with their mouths agape.

"She really is my daughter eh?" I heard my father say with a laugh. My mother just slapped his arm playfully.

I laughed and got up off the couch. I stretched and it felt really good to not be in pain. Although as I tried to cross the room I was swept away by a bout of dizziness. I would have fallen, but a pair of strong warm arms was there to catch me.

"Thanks Comrade." I said knowing it was him that had saved me. It was always him who saved me.

"You still need to rest Roza." He chastised pulling me close against his body. He flipped me around so we were face to well I was going to say face, but man was I short. I only came up to about his nipples. He bent down and gently brought his lips to mine.

The kiss was soft and sweet, but conveyed the deep connection and passion we shared with one another. I knew from Adrian that my mother was privy to the knowledge of our relationship, but I had no idea how she'd react to us making out in front of her, but in that moment I didn't care.

We broke apart slowly, but he still held me tightly against his body. After the events of the past week I never wanted to leave his warm embrace.

The Belikova's approached us and I could see the curiosity on their faces. Dimitri said something to them in Russian. They seemed to be amused as they were all smiling brightly at us.

Dimitri however looked a bit uncomfortable. My eyes dropped to the floor. He was embarrassed of me. It was obvious that he was by the look on his face.

He automatically sensed the change in my mood. He knew me so well.  
"Roza what's the matter are you feeling alright?" he asked with concern. "I'm fine." I said. "Just a little tired.

"You should get some rest." Said Olena.

She then said something to Dimitri in Russian. He nodded in response.

"I'm going to take you upstairs to rest Roza." He said. "It will be quiet and more comfortable up there." He continued.

He probably just wanted me out of the way of his family. I thought sadly.


	15. Chapter 15: Letting it Out

**Chapter 15: Letting it out**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Academy and its related plotline and characters are the property of Richelle Mead.**

**So here is chapter 15 it isn't terribly exciting, but it does give you a few different points of view. I try not to rewrite scenes all the time in different POV unless I feel it is necessary to know what that person is thinking. Also remember Rose is insecure because in the past Dimitri has professed his love, taken it back, told her they cannot be together etc… so she is a little confused and nervous. Don't worry I like happy endings although how we get there might be a little rough. The next few chapters take place in Russia. I don't know much about it nor do I speak it. Just keep in mind that all discussions between the Belikov's take place in Russian, however they will appear in English because I don't know Russian.**

**RPOV**

"Okay." I agreed. I was about to cry I was so disappointed that he was embarrassed our our relationship and I didn't want to cry in front of him or anyone else so I quickly made my excuses to the rest of the room and was going to follow him up the stairs.

"You're crazy if you think I'm letting you go up the stairs yourself." He said as he scooped me off my feet into his arms bridal style. It felt so right being in his arms. I don't know if he felt the same, but I rested my head in the crook of his neck savoring the scent of his musky aftershave. He carried me up the stairs and we stopped at the room at the very end of the hall. He opened the door easily and carried me inside. The room was dimly lit by a small lamp on a bedside table. There was a double bed, a dresser an armchair, and a book case that was filled with western novels. This must have been Dimitri's room when he lived here. He sat me down on the bed.

I had always liked being in his room at the academy. It was decorated much the same as it was here, just the bare essentials. Not that I'd done anything with my room at the academy.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice that he was staring at me.

"What?" I asked trying to be non-chalant.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" he asked kindly.  
I didn't know if he was talking about the occurances of the past week or if he meant us.

Either way I wasn't ready to talk. The torture I'd gone through was too painful to relive right now and if he was going to end things with me I'd rather not know about it just yet.

"Nope." I said fixing my eyes on the view out the small window. The sun was going to set soon and I could see Abe's guardians keeping watch over the house. I felt safer that they were out there. I shouldn't feel afraid. I'm going to be a guardian in less than three months. I shouldn't be afraid. But I was.

"Rose?" said Dimitri taking my hand in his.

"Yea?" I said snapping back into the present. "Where were you just now?" he asked still looking at me with concern. I didn't meet his gaze. I didn't want to tell him how terrified I was. He'd definatley be embarrassed that I was acting like a child if I told him that.

"Just tired." I lied. I was a little tired, but I didn't want him to keep interrogating me.

"Rose you know I can tell when you're lying." He said.

I sighed.

"I know you're not ready to talk, but when you are. I am here to listen." He said sounding more like my mentor than my lover at this point.

"Thanks Comrade. I'll let you know I said before lying down with my back facing him.

I thought he'd leave at this point so I was surprised when I felt the bed dip under his weight as he lay down next to me. He pulled me flush against him and wrapped his arms protectively around me.

"It's okay to let it out Roza." He whispered against my neck.

No sooner had he said that then the dam broke and the sobs wracked through my body. I cried and cried I didn't know how long we lay there. I didn't say anything, but he kept whispering softly in Russian to me and stroking my hair. It was oddly comforting. I must have cried myself to sleep because the next thing I knew I was waking up to Adrian's voice. I rolled over. Dimitri was gone.

"Hey there Little Dhampir." Said Adrian with a goofy smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see you in person this time."

I launched myself into his open arms. "So am I." I cried.  
"Thank you so much for being there for me when I needed you. Thanks for not giving up on me."

"I would never give up on you Little Dhampir." He said his voice thick with emotion.

"I can't live in a world without the bad ass warrior Rose Hathaway to keep me in line." He teased.

I looked him over. His hair was a mess there were dark circles under his eyes and it looked like he'd slept in his clothes.

"Have you fed recently?" I asked.

"That's not important." He replied.

"Have Lissa and Christian?"

"Shh, Rose stop worrying about everyone else and just take care of yourself for once. We'll all be alright."

"Adrian, I meant what I said."

"What is it you said Little Dhampir?" he asked

"I love you." I said kissing him softly.

"I love you too Rose." He said hugging me tighter.

"Thanks for healing me."

"Lissa did all the heavy lifting I was just there for backup he said humbly."

"No I felt what you did and saw how you looked after." I said.

"Thank you." I said again.

"Anything for you. Little Dhampir now let's get you downstairs for dinner. You must be starving. Olena Belikova has been slaving away down there. It's not easy to make dinner for 14 on short notice." He laughed.

"Is Abe still here?" I asked.

"Yes he is. Why?"

" I just wanted to make sure he didn't leave before I could thank him." I lied.

I didn't know if he wanted it to be public knowledge that he was my father, but I also didn't want him to leave without at least getting his phone number if he'd let me have it.

DPOV

I carried Roza up to my room glad to be away from the prying eyes of my family. They were wonderful and I loved them a lot and I knew that they would love Roza as well, but she was the very first girl I'd ever had to worry about introducing to my family and I was nervous. They were very nosy and I knew that they were lying in wait to pounce on her for information about us the second she was feeling better.

I lay her down gently on the bed. The bed that belonged to me when I lived here. She was staring out the window her eyes were vaccant. She had a similar expression after she'd been rescued in Spokane. One could only speculate how much trauma her psyche could handle before she shut down completely. I wondered idly what she was thinking about. A lot had happened this past week and I knew it would take a while for her to readjust if she even could. The Strigoi had inflicted so much torture on her and there had been nothing I could do about it. I hated feeling so powerless. I was confident that my Roza was strong and that she would overcome this as she had in the recent past. She had made it out of this alive when no one else would have. I wasn't even sure I would have.

She was tough and that was what I loved about her. I asked her if she wanted to talk about anything, but as per usual she said she was fine. I of course knew differently, but I wasn't going to her for information before she was ready. I just let her know that when the time came I would be there for her to listen.

She lay down facing away from me. I knew she was hurting and I wanted so badly to comfort her and this house was the one place where I never had to hide from anyone. I lay down behind her and pulled her body against mine. I wrapped my arms around her tightly.

"It's okay to let it out Roza." I said and it was as if she were waiting for my permission before she broke down into sobs. I held her close and whispered in her ear in Russian.

"I love you Roza. No one will every capture my heart the way you have. You're my everything. I could never live without you. I will never leave you. You're the only one I'll ever love."

After a while her sobs quieted and her breathing evened out. I knew she'd fallen asleep. I covered her gently with the blankets and slipped out of the room.

I walked downstairs and it was quite a crazy scene before my eyes. My sisters Viktoria and Sonya were chatting lightly with Adrian, Lissa and Christian while Abe and Janine were having what looked like a tense discussion on the other side of the room. One minute they looked almost amicable and the next it seemed like they wanted to murder each other. I'd have to figure out what was going on there later. I really didn't like Abe nor did I like the thought of him hanging around Rose.

As I walked into the kitchen I could smell that my mother had been cooking. She and Karolina my eldest sister seemed to have things under control.

"Is there anything I can do Mama?" I asked.

"No everything is under control in here Dimka. You could get down the plates from the shelf if you want." She said.

"Of course."

I went about getting down the plates and thought about how many we would need. There were 14 of us including Abe Mazur's guardians. I didn't expect that they'd actually come inside to eat, but you never know. I was still puzzled as to why he was still here and what his relationship with Janine Hathaway was. I got out napkins and silverware and some bowls as well.

"How is Rose?" asked my mother with concern.

"She's coping as well as to be expected." I replied.

" Oh Dimka she is everything I've ever hoped you would find." She said overjoyed as she past me on her way to the sink.

I Beamed. "Thanks Mama. That means a lot to me."

"How is her mother dealing with you two being together? She is underage is she not?"

I had been hoping to avoid explanation.

"She is." I replied. "Guardian Hathaway was not too happy with me at first, but she has accepted us." I said warily.

"That's wonderful Dimka. Rose is so perfect for you. Age is just a number." She said.

"Here hold this." She said handing me a large platter while she took the  
Pelmeni out of the pan and put them onto the platter. She then went to the oven and pulled out the Kholodets one of my favorites a pork dish and put that onto another platter. She had gone all out in just the few short hours I'd been upstairs with Rose.

"Karolina is the Cabbage done?" she asked.

"Yes Mama. I'm just getting the bread out as well."

"Wow I wish Dimka would come home more often Mama almost never makes kvashnya." Exclaimed Viktoria as she entered the kitchen. She was my youngest sister and I hadn't seen here since she was eleven.

"Come here you little brat you." I said scooping her off the ground and twirling her around in a circle.

She squealed and laughed as I tickled her to death like I used to when she was a kid.

"Dimka put me down." She screamed between laughs.  
"I've really missed you kid." I told her before pulling her into a giant bear hug.

"Then next time don't wait five years to visit." She said punching me in the arm. Of course it didn't hurt, but I feigned a slight ouch to make her feel good.

"So I can see Rose and I will be fast friends." She said with a gleam in her eyes.

I laughed. They were so similar they would get along thick as thieves. They could do some major damage if left alone.

"I'm sure you will." I commented sneaking a quick taste of my mother's bread.

"Dimka! Put that down." Scolded my mother slapping my hand away from the bread. Even at the age of twenty-four she could still make me feel like I was ten years old again.

It felt so good to be with family. I hadn't felt this much at peace in a long time.

**Please Review I am hoping to hit one hundred this chapter!! Also, do you think there's going to be Abe drama or something going on between Rose and Adrian???**


	16. Chapter 16: Family

**Chapter 16: Family**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. I would love to borrow Adrian and Dimitri for a night though=)**

**This chapter is a little fluffy. I wanted to add a little happiness into the picture for once. So many stories are full of doom and gloom. Enjoy!!**

RPOV

Adrian left and I walked slowly over to the mirror on the back of the door. I looked at myself and shuddered. There were dark circles under my eyes, my hair was a rat's nest, there were bits of dried blood caked along my scalp, I was still very pale and I was wearing a white night gown.

I can't go down there like this I thought to myself. I went to the dresser and opened the drawers hoping to find a t-shirt and some shorts at best when there was a knock on the door.

Whoever was on the other side didn't wait for me to answer.

"Rose?" Came a female voice. I turned and looked at the young girl who had entered. I think her name was Viktoria. She was Dimitri's youngest sister. She looked to be just a little younger than myself.

"Hey." I said awkwardly. What do you say to your twenty-four year old boyfriend's younger sister?

"Don't be shy. I am so happy that you and Dimka have found each other. You're very special to him." She said coming over and sitting down on the bed.

I felt a blush creep into my cheeks, but I didn't say anything. It was nice to have at least one of his family members on my side.

"So dinner is in a few minutes and I thought maybe you'd want to wear some real clothes." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I was just trying to find some in there." I said pointing to the dresser.  
"Ha! You won't find anything that fits you in there. Even as a teenager Dimka has always been a beast." She laughed.

"I brought you these." She said holding up a bag and dumping the contents onto the bed spread.

There was a pair of grey velour pants, a matching hoodie, a white tank top and socks.

"Thanks." I said "You've been really kind to me."

"Anything for you Rose. You're part of the family." She said with a wink.

I was taken aback. They really did accept us being together. This was so different from the way we would be treated at the Academy or even at the Royal Court next year. I could just imagine the look on Queen Bitch's face if she found out.

"Hey I also brought you a brush and some make up." She said pulling me out of my reverie. "I can help you if you want."

"I'd like that a lot." I said grateful for everything she'd done to make me comfortable.

She led me down the hall into another room. It had a bathroom attached to it. "This is my room. " She explained.

I looked around. It was what a typical teenage girl's room should look like. Clothing was strewn across the bed and the floor, a large floor length mirror hung on one wall, a vanity with all kinds of toiletries sat on one side and the room was decorated with pinks and purples. There was even a teddy bear dressed as a doctor on the unmade bed.

I smiled when I saw it. She followed my gaze.

"That's Dr. Pepper." She said matter of factly.

"Dr. Pepper?" I questioned the odd name for a teddy bear.

"Well it's a long story, but I went through a phase where I would only drink Dr. Pepper when I was a child. Mama says I was fussy. It was hard to find here in Russia so she had to stock up when she came across it. Dimka thought it was funny and one day he took me to the Baia town fair and won me the bear. I of course thought he needed a name and Dimka teased me, but told me I should name him Dr. Pepper since I was so in love with it. He even got me a little stethoscope and made him a lab coat out of an old pillow case. It was our own private joke.

I was stunned by her story. I never thought of Dimitri as a fun older brother. He rarely showed his soft side and usually only to me for a brief minute or two. I envied his childhood here with his family. It wasn't common for Dhampirs to be raised in such a loving environment. My own childhood had been spent at the Academy.

"That was the day DImka told me he was leaving to be a Guardian. It was one of the last times I saw him." She said sadly. "Until you brought him to us." She smiled genuinely at me. I marveled at how alike she and Dimitri looked when they smiled.

"She went about fixing my hair and she applied minimal make up to cover up my dark circles.

"Do you like lip gloss Rose?" she asked.

"Do I ever?" I said with a smile.

"I'd die without mine." She said.

"I know the feeling." I replied laughing when I remembered whining to Dimitri during our training sessions about being out of lip gloss. Back then I'd thought it was the end of the world. I also remembered him sneaking and buying me some to make me happy. My heart swelled with love at that memory. I should have known then how he felt about me.

"There now you are ready." She said with a nod. "Look in the mirror."  
I looked at what she had done. She'd removed the bandage from my neck. She'd brushed and straightened my hair so it fell loosely down my back. She's also removed most of the debris that had been snarled in it. She'd covered up my dark circles added mascara to make my eyes big and put on a touch of pink lip gloss. The clothing was a little big because she was slightly taller than me, but I had to admit I looked pretty good for being Strigoi fodder.

She took my hand and led me downstairs. Everyone was sitting around a large table that had been set up in the dining area. There was an enormous amount of food and it smelled really good. I was so hungry I could have eaten a horse.

Everyone looked up as we entered the room.  
_  
"Wow you look so much better Rose." _Said Lissa through the bond. I could tell she was happy, but there was a slight jealous tone coming from her as she looked between me and Viktoria.

My parents were sitting next to each other and they both smiled when they saw me. "Rose, I'm glad to see you feeling well." Said Abe rising from his seat to give me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks to you old man." I said teasingly punching him slightly on the arm.

He laughed and his eyes crinkled as a wide grin broke across his face. He still looked like a mobster, but a happy mobster at the moment. My mother just looked back and forth between us with an amused smile on her face.

Everyone else at the table looked at me in awe that I had the nerve to call Abe Mazur old man and that he didn't put a hit out on me. If only they knew I was a baby mobster.

I looked around the table and noticed that Dimitri wasn't there. My face fell. Where did he go? I thought.

As if sensing that I was looking for him he came up behind me and snaked his arm around my waist.  
"I'm right here Roza." He breathed.

I relaxed and let him lead me to a seat at the table right next to Lissa. He took the seat on the other side of me. I was nestled in between the two most important people in my life. I couldn't have been happier if I tried.

This was by far the strangest yet most wonderful dinner I'd ever eaten. The food was all traditional Russian dishes and Dimitri told me the names but they were difficult to pronounce so I doubted I'd remember them tomorrow.

After dinner while Dimitri helped his mother and sisters clean up and my friends went upstairs with Viktoria to see about sleeping arrangements my mother and Abe pulled me aside.

"Rose we know about you and Guardian Belikov." Stated my mother.

I already knew that she knew and that it had been pretty obvious to my father.

I looked her in the eye. "And?" I questioned.

"Do you love him Rosemarie?" she asked.

"Yes I do very much." I replied.

"And he didn't force you into anything?" she asked

"No of course not he wouldn't ever do that."

"That's all I wanted to know." She said.

"Will you tell the Academy?" I asked biting my bottom lip nervously.

"Not so long as you both remain professional until graduation while in public." She responded.

"You wouldn't want to tarnish either of your reputations."

"Belikov is a good man. He comes from this wonderful family and I'm very happy that you have such a loving man to take care of you Rosemarie." Abe interjected. "Just know that if he steps out of line I will be there to make him pay." He added. He sounded like he was joking, but I wasn't so sure he actually was.

"What would you know about that anyways?" I snapped. I didn't mean to, but deep down I had resentment towards my father for never being around. I knew that Moroi fathers were never really around for their Dhampir children, but it doesn't mean that I had to agree with it. I wondered if he had Moroi children out there somewhere too.

"Rosemarie! Do not speak to him that way." Gasped my mother appauled at my comment.

"Well what do you want me to say? I'm glad he is here to help me right now, but there were many other times in my life where I needed someone and neither of you were around." I said quietly.

"That isn't his fault." Said my mother.

"I looked her in the eyes and I knew it was the truth."

"Janine you don't have to make excuses for me." My father said interrupting her.

"No she needs to know the truth Ibrahim." She looked at me.

"Rose do not ever think that your father is the one who decided not to be in your life. We were young and in love and when I told him that we were going to have you he was very excited and happy. He asked me to marry him and run away together. I agreed at first, but the night I was supposed to meet him I thought about what I would be giving up and I changed my mind. I left him a note and fled back to the States." She said sheepishly.

"I was a coward and I'm sorry."

I was astonished. My father had wanted to assume and my mother was the one who said no. I'd always figured it was the other way around. I just stood there staring between the two of them. My mother had a look of shame on her face and my father just looked sad.

"Rose Abe has always taken an interest in your life. I've sent him pictures, he donates money to St. Vladimirs and gets updated reports on your training and grades. He was worried sick the last two times you were missing. " She continued.

Fresh tears welled up in my eyes. I did my best to hold them back. I fixed my gaze on Abe.

"Do you have other children?" I asked him.

He laughed. "No, I am very sure I do not." He replied.

"Not even Moroi children?"

"You are my only child." He repeated. That made me feel kind of special in a way.

"Will you keep in touch with me now?" I asked him.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure." He said embracing me tightly. "I have maintained a distance at your mother's request, but now that I've met you wild horses couldn't keep me away. I had planned on a visit to the States soon now I have even more reason to prolong my visit." He said sincerely.

His words made me very happy and I hugged him with everything I had.

"You have no idea how many times I've imagined this exact moment." He whispered and I have to admit I got a little teary eyed.

I wondered what my friends would think if they knew I had a mobster for a father. I'd have to tease Sparky with that later.

Dimitri was watching our exchange with curiosity from the doorway of the kitchen. I'd have to explain to him , but right now I was too exhausted to say the least.

As night fell we were all tired and as the house was not large enough to accomedate all of us my father suggested that he and my mother and one of his guardians would stay at his house just outside town. His other guardian would patrol around the perimeter of the house.

Olena would bunk with Dimitri's grandmother whom I hadn't met yet. She had been very elusive. Dimitri had once told me that she was a witch and a part of me was a little frightened to meet her. Karolina, Sonya and Viktoria would stay together in Karolina's room with Paul who had been scarce as well. Lissa and Christian would take Viktoria's room. I would stay with Dimitri and Adrian would take the couch. I laughed at the almighty Lord Adrian Ivashkov being banished to the couch.

**Please Review!!!**


	17. Chapter 17: Kindred Spirits

**Chapter 17: Just One Night**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Sadly Dimitri and Adrian belong to Richelle Mead. **

**And here it is! The reunion we've all been waiting for. **

Once again Dimitri and I were alone in his room. He came over to me and put his arms around me tightly.  
"I am never letting you out of my sight again Roza." He murmured kissing the top of my hair.

It was at this point that I became aware that it had been nearly a week since I'd had a shower.

I pulled myself out of his grasp.

"What?" he asked.

" Is there anyway I could get a shower?"

His face broke into a wide grin. "Are you sure you can manage in there alone?"

My face paled at the thought of him in the shower with me. A part of me would enjoy it, but we were in his mother's house for the love of God why would he say that. He knew it would get me all worked up.

"I'm just kidding Roza." He said with a laugh. "I will get you some towels."

I followed him out the door and down the hallway. The bathroom was a decent size and had a very large tub.

"Would you like me to pour you a bath?" he asked.

Was he seriously trying to kill me here?

"Uh no I think I can take it from here." I said.

He turned and left closing the door behind him. I let out a sign of relief. "Dear Lord the things that man does to me." I thought.

I turned on the shower and stood under the hot water. It felt wonderful beating down hard on my back. I used the shampoo or what I thought was shampoo because for the life of me I couldn't read the foreign label. It smelled nice so I guess that is all that mattered.

I washed the dried blood out of my hair, the rest of the debris from the caves and what seemed like endless amounts of dirt. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of showering before now. I guess I was a little overwhelmed with everything. I should get a haircut when I get back. Having waist length hair was not ideal for battling Strigoi. I knew Dimitri told me he preferred it long, but maybe I could get away with shoulder length or something because this was ridiculous.

I lingered under the spray until the water had long gone cold. I wrapped myself in the large white towel that Dimitri had laid out for me. It was then I realized I hadn't brought a change of clothing in with me.

Oh well I'd have to make a run for it. I opened the bathroom door slowly and peeked outside to see if there was anyone in the hallway. It was dark and everything was quiet. Everyone must be asleep. I darted out the door and down to our room. I opened the door and quietly closed it behind me in case Dimitri was asleep. The room was empty. Maybe he'd decided to sleep somewhere else. My heart sank. I was looking forward to spending tonight in his arms. We were heading back to the Academy tomorrow afternoon and since we weren't allowed to go public with our relationship so tonight would be our only night together.

I saw Dimitri's travel bag sitting in the corner and since I didn't have anything to wear to bed I rifled through his bag until I found one of his undershirts. It was white and as I slipped it on I could smell the magnificent scent of his aftershave. It was intoxicating. The shirt came down to my knees. I thought about trying to find some underwear, but I was in no mood to interrupt Lissa and Christian in Viktoria's room so I grabbed a pair of his boxers and of course they were way to big so I had to roll them four times to get them to stay on my hips.

I climbed underneath the covers and lay my head against the pillow. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. After a few minutes of tossing and turning I turned on the lamp and got out of bed. I went over to the bookcase and took out a book at random. I cursed out loud it was in Russian. Most of them were. I scanned the rest of the bookcase and found a few that were in English. I sat down in the arm chair curled my legs underneath me, pulled the blanket over me and began to read. I had only gotten to the second chapter and boy was it boring when I heard the doorknob turn.

I expected it to be Dimitri, but was surprised to see a very elderly woman. She said something quickly to me in Russian. This must be Dimitri's grandmother I thought.

" I'm Yeva." The woman said in English as she came over to me closing the door behind her.

"You are the girl that Dimka is involved with yes?" she asked.

Ah so she does speak English. I thought. "Yes." I said.

"I can see that you two are made to be together your souls are kindred."

She looked at me closely like she was studying me. "You are marked with death." She stated.

"What?" I asked in shock. "I can see it. You are dead." She said.

"The shadows are all around you. Don't you see them?"

I knew what she meant now. She was referring to me being shadow kissed.

"Yes I see them." I said. "I have learned to control it."

"I see. You are different." She continued. I didn't know where she was going with this.

"They tried to turn you, but they couldn't."

I gasped. How did she know that. I didn't even tell Dimitri about that. No one knew.

"How did you.." I stammered.

"It's not important. You will accomplish great things. You and Dimka will make way for changes yet to come. The gift you will bring to him will challenge everything our world has ever known." She said and then as quickly as she came in she left.

I was more or less confused, but relieved that she was gone. Dimitri says she sees things. I wanted to know what she meant by the gift I will bring him. What gift was I going to bring him?

"Rose?" Dimitri said coming over to me. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice when he came into the room.

"Hey Comrade." I said I thought you'd gone to bed.

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I just went to make you some hot chocolate." He said holding out a steaming mug to me.

"Were you reading one of my novels?" he asked with a smirk.

I took the mug from his hands. "Don't get your panties in a bunch Comrade. I didn't enjoy it." I said with a snicker.

He raised his eyebrow at me. "Panties?" he asked.

He sat on the edge of the bed and I remained in the armchair. We drank in silence. It was comfortable. With him it always was. We knew each other inside and out and it just felt right being near him.

"Dimitri what does kindred mean?" I asked.

He looked at me puzzled as to why I would ask a foreigner the definition of an English word.

"It means having a natural connection, sharing the same beliefs and attitudes towards something." He said. "Why do you ask me that?"

"No reason." I lied looking down into my almost empty cup.

"Roza." He said rising from the bed. He set his cup down on the night stand and he took mine and placed it there as well.

"Okay someone told me that you and I were kindred spirits." I said.

"Babuska." He grumbled under his breath.

"When was she here. What did she say to you?" he asked.

"Nothing just that she thought we were kindred spirits and some other crap about how we were going to change the world or something." I mumbled definitely leaving out the part about death and the Strigoi and whatever gift she was talking about.

"Don't mind her she's a little eccentric. She didn't frighten you did she?" he asked concerned.

"She's definitely eccentric I'll give her that." I said.

"Do you believe what she said?" I asked.

"About us being kindred spirits I mean."

"Of course." He said easily. He scooped me up into his arms and brought me over to the bed. He lay me down and hovered over me for a second.  
"Don't you?" he asked.

I nodded at a loss for words as I gazed into his mesmerizing brown eyes.

He closed the gap between us slowly and then I felt a tingle as his lips found mine.

The kiss was soft, but said everything that needed to be said between us. He lay next to me holding me pressed against his body while he continued the kiss. It was deep and slow and I could feel the love pouring from him into me. I could feel my heart beating wildly as his hands softly caressed my face and my neck.

He was fighting hard to keep himself in check. I could tell. I wanted him so bad it hurt.

"It's okay to lose control Comrade." I whispered in his ear. His eyes met mine briefly and then he let go. His mouth moved hungrily over mine and his hands traveled the length of my body. He positioned himself so that he was kneeling over me.

"God Roza you look so sexy in my clothes." He breathed raggedly.

"I look even sexier with them off." I teased. And before I knew what was happening he put one hand underneath my thighs and held me against his body and with the other hand he lifted the t-shirt over my head and threw it to the ground. He managed to remove my shorts and his clothing effortlessly before laying me gently against the pillows on his bed.

His eyes raked over my exposed flesh. I could see the desire and love he felt for me.

"Touch me." I begged. And he did. His hands lit a trail of fire from the inside of my thighs to my hips and then upwards as he caressed my full breasts.

"You're my everything Roza." He whispered.

"And you're mine." I replied.

"Are you sure your okay to do this?" he asked. "We don't have to."

"I'm more than okay." I Said.

I tensed slightly as he entered me. This was only the second time I'd ever been with a man and I was still a little overwhelmed by the sensation.  
He took it slow as I adjusted to accomadate him.

Our love making was beautiful. He was so gentle and tender with me, yet at the same time passionate and fiery.

When it was over he lay with me nestled against his warm body with his arms wrapped tightly around me. He pressed his lips to the back of my neck before I fell into unconsciousness.

**Let me know if it lived up to your expectations! **


	18. Chapter 18: You're my Everything

**Chapter 18: You're my Everything**

**DPOV**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy! Ha! But neither do you! Everything is the property of Richelle Mead. **

**So don't hate me for doing this chapter in two POV I really felt that Dimitri had to be heard here. Also, I just love chapters in his POV=) **

Dinner was interesting. Roza sat between Lissa and I. She didn't talk much she just listened. I was only focused on one thing making her feel safe and loved. There were so many things I wanted to ask her. Things didn't add up and I was confused. How had she managed to escape from the Strigoi. She was a good fighter and a strong runner, but she had been held for days, she'd lost what looked to be most of her blood, she had no food or water. It just didn't make sense. Adrian said they wanted to turn her. Why hadn't they? I was so thankful that they hadn't and that she was safe and here with me now, but I couldn't fathom as to why they'd allow her to live.

And then there was the mystery that was Abe Mazur. He was a mobster by nature. He wasn't the type to go out of his way for anyone yet he'd rescued a perfect stranger off the side of the road. I knew he didn't have his guardian's do it because he himself was covered in her blood. When I'd first walked in he was holding her hand and speaking to her in Turkish which I did not speak. The sleeves of his expensive shirt were rolled up. There had been blood all down the front of it and he looked as if he hadn't slept or fed recently. If I could pinpoint his exact facial expression I'd say it was worry.

Then there was Janine's reaction to Abe. One minute they were friendly the next they were angry. Right before dinner Abe had risen from the table to greet Roza and kissed her on the cheek. She seemed to be okay with the gesture and the look of admiration on Janine's face as a known mobster kissed her daughter was bothering me greatly. When Rose called him old man I thought he'd be livid and poised myself for an outburst, but then he'd cracked a smile and laughed at her comment. That threw me for a loop. All through dinner the princess kept staring at Rose and then at Abe and then back at Rose not saying anything just studying them like she knew something I didn't.

After dinner as I helped mama clean up I saw Janine and Abe pull Rose aside. They were having some sort of conversation. Jeanine looked scared, Rose looked angry and Abe just looked sad. Then Rose embraced him tightly.

"Looks like a little family reunion going on over there doesn't it?" I nearly jumped out of my skin at my grandmother's voice. I hadn't seen her approach. Since I'd been here she'd kept herself scarce.

"Babuska." I greeted her. "You scared me."

"What do you mean family reunion?" I asked curiously.

"Dimka, open your eyes you silly boy." She said chastisingly.

"The man cares deeply for both mother and child."

Realization hit me like a hammer. Abe Mazur was Rose's father? What the fuck? Janine Hathaway and Abe Mazur. This explains everything. This explains Rose. I thought. She was a badass guardian which she got from Janine, but her attitude that was definitely Abe. She was the daughter of one of the most feared and respected non-royal Moroi men on earth. Oh my God I am dating Abe Mazur's daughter. That was one man you did not want to have mad at you and I was sleeping with his underage daughter. That girl will be the death of me.

Everyone made their way to their sleeping arrangements. I was more excited than I let on that Abe and Janine would not be staying with us. That way I could share a room with Rose without fear for my life. I couldn't decide which of her parents I feared more Janine or Abe?

Janine could probably take me in a fight, but Abe could hire as many hit men as he wanted to kill me on sight. Hmm!!!

When Rose and I were alone she decided she wanted to take a shower. I laughed at her reaction to me showering with her. Hey I was a 24 year old straight man. Of course I wanted to be naked with her in the shower among other places. It was rare I got to show my true self to her and I think she was a little perturbed when I offered to draw her a bath. Her face flushed crimson and she barely managed to get out a response.

I laughed as I closed the door. I made my way downstairs to make her some hot chocolate. It was something I always enjoyed doing for her. There weren't many ways at the Academy that I could show her I cared and this was one of them.

While I was downstairs I ran into my sister Viktoria.

"Why are you up so late?" I asked her.

"You're not my keeper Dimka. We are on break from school and I didn't want to go to bed yet, besides Sonya has taken up snoring lately due to her pregnancy." She said with a grimace.

"Sonya is pregnant?" I asked surprised that no one had told me.

"I thought you knew." She said looking anywhere but in my eyes.

"Sonya? Oh Sonya, she was always the one I'd figured on getting out of here and doing something with her life. I didn't want her to be a blood whore.

I sighed and sat down next to Viktoria on the couch. "Vik. I know that I have been gone for a long time, but I just want to let you know that this isn't the way you have to live. You can do other things with your life besides raise babies." I told her sincerely.

"I know Dimka. This isn't what I want to do." She replied. "That is why I've been at St. Basils."

"You've been at St. Basils?" I asked incredulously.

"I want to be a badass guardian like my big brother." She said smiling.

I hugged her tightly to my chest. "You don't know how good it is to hear that Vik." I said stroking her hair. "I've always known you would do great things with your life."

I was so happy that at least one of my sisters had felt the calling to be a guardian. It was a great honor and we desperately needed female Dhampirs to be guardians. There were so few these days.

The tea kettle whistled and I poured 3 cups of hot chocolate. I gave one to Viktoria telling her to get some sleep and took the other two upstairs.

I opened the door to find Rose sitting in my chair much to my surprise she was wearing my clothes and reading one of my western novels. And I had to say that was extremely arousing.

"Rose?" I questioned her. She was staring out into space with a strange expression on her face. She hadn't even noticed me enter the room. I'd have to do a little training with her on being aware of her surroundings.

"Hey Comrade." She said "I thought you'd gone to bed."

"Why would you say that?" I asked. If she thought I was sleeping anywhere else, but with her in my arms she was crazy.

She shrugged. "I just went to make you some hot chocolate." I said holding one of the cups out for her.

"Were you reading one of my novels?" I asked with a smirk. She always chastised me for reading my western novels and had obnoxiously nicknamed me Comrade much to my dislike and protest. Although in the past few days I'd never been so happy to hear it come from her lips.

She took the mug from my hands. "Don't get your panties in a bunch Comrade. I didn't enjoy it." she said with a snicker.

"Panties?" I asked. She always knew exactly what to say that was completely inappropriate, but that's what I loved about her.

I sat on the edge of the bed. We drank in silence. There were so many questions I had for her, but they could wait until tomorrow. Tonight would be our only night alone together for I don't know how long. After a while she broke the silence.

"Dimitri what does kindred mean?" she asked.

She always surprised me with her randomness, but this was odd even for her.

"It means having a natural connection, sharing the same beliefs and attitudes towards something." I said. "Why do you ask me that?"

"No reason." she lied looking down. I always knew when she was lying. She never looked at me when she lied.

"Roza." I said. I didn't want anymore secrets between us. It was bad enough that she'd hidden the ghosts from me for nearly a month. Sometimes she could be so thickheaded.

"Okay someone told me that you and I were kindred spirits." She relented.

Damn Babuska had been talking to her. I knew it would happen eventually.

"Babuska." I said.

"When was she here. What did she say to you?" I asked.

"Nothing just that she thought we were kindred spirits and some other crap about how we were going to change the world or something." She mumbled.

I don't think she was telling me the whole truth, but I didn't push.

"Don't mind her she's a little eccentric. She didn't frighten you did she?" I asked.

"She's definitely eccentric I'll give her that." She said.

"Do you believe what she said?" she asked.

"About us being kindred spirits I mean."

"Of course." I replied. I'd never met anyone who got me like she did. She and I were so in tune with each other it was almost scary.

I closed the space between us and scooped her up into my arms and brought her over to the bed. I lay her down.  
"Don't you?" I asked hoping she felt the same way about me.

She nodded.

I slowly pulled her closer to me and touched my lips to hers. I could feel her heart beating in rhythm with mine. It was a sound I had thought earlier in the week that I might never hear again. I kissed her with all the love and passion I could summon. I wanted her to know without words that she belonged to me and I would never let her go. I caressed her gently wanting so much more, but she had been through so much physically and emotionally I didn't think she'd want me to go any further. I fought hard to keep from ripping off her clothing and ravaging her like an animal. I wanted our time together to be tender and sweet. She deserved to be worshiped like the goddess she was.

"It's okay to lose control Comrade." She whispered seductively in my ear. Her eyes met mine briefly and then I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I attacked her mouth hungrily and allowed my hands to wander all over her naked flesh.

"God Roza you look so sexy in my clothes."

"I look even sexier with them off." She teased. That only drove me insane with desire. I held her against my body and nearly tore off her clothes.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was incredibly beautiful and sexy. I couldn't believe that I'd been so lucky to have a woman like her care for me the way she did.

"Touch me." She all but begged. My body felt like it was on fire as my hands explored her nubile body.

"You're my everything Roza." I told her.

"And you're mine." she replied.

"Are you sure your okay to do this?" I asked. "We don't have to." I wanted her so badly it hurt, but I also didn't want to cause her any pain.

"I'm more than okay." She said.

I didn't need anymore of an invitation and I took her.

I could feel her tense as we became one. I flashed back to our night together in our cabin. She was so tight and the way she had tensed that night told me what I had been hoping to find out. That she was untouched. That she had never let another man be with her intimately. It gave me great joy that she was only for me. That she chose me to be the one and if I had any say it in her only.  
I took it slow and gentle so that I wouldn't cause her any discomfort. Our souls connected just as they had the first time. It was never like this with anyone else, not that I had a lot of experience. I knew that it would never be like this with anyone else. The love and passion that consumed me when we touched was unparalleled.

When we were spent I pulled her as close to me as possible and inhaled the scent of her freshly washed hair that cascaded beautifully across the pillow. I kissed the back of her neck softly and was asleep in an instant.

**Please review! The next few chapters are going to give some interesting info so review and I'll post them faster=)**


	19. Chapter 19: The Power of Love

**Chapter 19 Dream Healing???**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or it's characters. **

**Is anyone wondering how Rose survived having almost all of her blood drained or have you already figured it out??? **

**I know I know everyone who is reading are mainly Dimitri fans so try not to crucify me for this. I promise a lot more Dimitri to come, but I happen to love Adrian as well so this one is for all of you who, like me know how great a guy Adrian can be…. I also have a feeling that he's going to get his heart shattered in the real version of Spirit Bound =( **

RPOV

I was in a garden this time. It was very pretty. I felt like maybe I'd been there before. Wait this has to be one of Adrian's dreams things are too perfect. My dreams were usually nightmares.

"Adrian?" I called. Again I wasn't wearing anything skimpy. A pretty yellow and blue sundress with white flip flops that had daisies on the top. I wondered how long he spent thinking about what he would dress me in. I mean seriously a different outfit each time. What did he like stalk the J. Crew Catalog or something?

"Adrian where are you?" I called wandering around the garden.

"Why Little Dhampir if I didn't know any better I'd say you missed me." He said coming out from behind a tree.

He looked amazing as usual. His unkempt hair just added to his bad boy look.

There was a wrought iron bench that sat next to a small pond. "Would you like to join me?" he asked walking over to the bench and sitting down.

I sat next to him. "So aren't you worn out from all the healing and dream walking?" I asked curiously.

"Yes it has been draining especially without being able to self medicate." He replied.

"Why aren't you resting?" I asked.

"I think there are a few things we need to talk about and I don't want to do it in front of the others and I don't think Belikov fancies it when we spend time together."

Oh great just because I kissed him when I thought I was dying he's gone and gotten the wrong idea. I thought and he was dead on about Dimitri not liking us spending time together.

I took a deep breath and launched myself into a conversation I'd been dreading.

"Adrian, I'm sorry I just don't feel that way about you. I mean I do love you , but more in a friendly way that in a let's be lovers kind of way." I started to explain.

He had an amused look on his face. "Don't worry Little Dhampir. I know you are with Belikov and as much as it pains me to admit it he's a very good man. " he said with a slight grimace.

"Oh well then what did you want to talk about?" I asked feeling a little sheepish for making the assumption.

"Well there's the fact that there were two Strigoi holding you captive and you didn't mention killing either of them. Where did they go? Why didn't they turn you? And how did you survive being drained of nearly all of your blood?" he asked seriously.

"Rose the last time I saw you you told me they had taken all of your blood and that you were dying. Not that I'm not happy as hell to have you alive and well, but I don't understand what happened."

He looked at me with confusion.

"Just so you know. I didn't tell Belikov or Lissa or anyone about them draining you." He said.

"You didn't?"

"No I didn't want them to worry more and I didn't want them to call off the search so I lied. I told them you were in bad shape, but you would probably be alive when we found you."

"Oh Adrian. You shouldn't have done that. What if I wasn't or worse what if I was Strigoi. Lissa would have been devastated." I cried.

" I know. It was stupid, but all I could think about was getting to you before it was too late. That last time I thought for sure you had only minutes to live. And then when we found where they were holding you and I saw the blood. I'd have bet my life that when we found you it would be to bury you. His face paled even paler than usual as he said it.

"Rose I need to know what happened."

"I know and I wish I could tell you, but honestly I have no idea. The first time you visited was when she started taking my blood. When I woke up I couldn't move or speak and I heard them arguing about me. The female said she'd taken all my blood and bled at least a gallon of her own down my throat." I looked down at the ground as I said it.

" They thought I should have changed by then and that I was as good as dead because it didn't work so they left me there. That is when I saw you the second time and I told you to give up that it was too late. I knew I was going to die."

The look on his face was pure disgust when I'd mentioned them bleeding Strigoi blood down my throat. I didn't blame him. I was so ashamed.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that Rose. You know that it wasn't your fault right?" he asked.

I knew he could sense my guilt.

"I know. I just feel dirty." I said honestly.

"Well don't. I don't think any less of you and neither will anyone else. It was out of your control." He said trying to convince me.

"I wonder why you didn't change?" he wondered out loud scratching his chin which had become rather stubley.

Something clicked in my head as I was thinking about what I told him and what I did during that dream. The last time I'd kissed him I felt a spark of something shoot from him through me. I thought I was crazy at the time, but maybe…

"Adrian did you feel something when I kissed you in the dream?" I asked

"You mean romantically or physically?" he asked.

"No no not like that I mean something strange like a.."

"Like an electric spark." He finished for me.

"Yes exactly like that." I said.

"You felt that too?" he asked.

"Yes. Hey do you think maybe you sent spirit into me and that it partially healed me?"

"It was a dream Rose how could it have? And you know that my healing powers are not very good." He said remorsefully.

"What were you feeling when I kissed you?" I asked I knew I was reaching, but I wanted to know how I lived.

"Love." He replied honestly. "In that moment I loved you so much Rose. I was so sad that it took you dying for me to feel your lips on mine the way I always dreamed about. In that moment I tried to pour all of my pent up emotions for you into that kiss, because I knew that if you died I would never get the chance and if you lived I still wouldn't get the chance to feel that again so I gave it everything I had." He said. Tears had formed in his eyes.

"Adrian. You saved my life. Your powers must be linked to your emotions like Lissa's because there is no way I would have come back from that. I can't even tell you how much it means to me that you felt that way about me even though I've treated you so poorly."

I reached my hands out and cupped his face. "I never believed that what you felt for me was real. Not until that moment." I admitted. "I'm so sorry to have doubted your intentions. I owe you everything. If you hadn't loved me like that and kept trying to find me I would be dead right now. Thank you Adrian."

He was so choked up he was at a loss for words. He just looked at me. His eyes said it all.

Before he knew what I was doing I pulled his face to mine and kissed him slowly. He seemed shocked, but didn't move to pull away. I deepened the kiss for a few seconds and he responded tenderly and then gently pulled away. I leaned my forehead against his. We were both panting.

"Thank you. Little Dhampir. You didn't owe me anything though." He said finally.

"I didn't do it because I thought I owed you. I did it because I wanted to." I said. "I feel connected to you. Not the same way I feel connected to Lissa or Dimitri, but you are very special to me." I continued.

"And you are very special to me Rose. I don't ever want to think of living my life without you in it. If you and I are meant to be just friends then I will be the best friend to you that I know how to be." He said.

I lay my head on his shoulder and relaxed. "Adrian this place is so peaceful where are we?"

"My grandmother's garden. You've been here once before with me. Not that you'd remember cause you hated me at the time." He said with a laugh.

" I never hated you. I just thought you were a spoiled, pompous, womanizing, drunk." I said playfully.

"Oh well you were right, I was, but meeting you and seeing how you all accepted me into your group of friends has made me realize that I want to be a better person. I want to be a good friend and the type of man that someday might be worthy of love from someone as wonderful as you." He said blushing.

"You are worthy Adrian. You always were. And someday you will find the one and I'm going to be there to make sure she doesn't hurt you and if she does I'll kick her ass."

He laughed. "You are a badass my little Dhampir. You'd have to be with who your parents are." He said with a wink.

"Ah so you picked up on that?" I asked not really all that surprised. I think almost everyone had figured it out. I mean I know Lissa had. She hadn't had the courage to ask me about it yet, but I could feel that she knew. Dimitri probably did as well. If he did I wondered how he was taking it. I didn't think he'd be too big of a fan of my father's illegal business practices.

"Well he has some serious love in his aura and not just for you. He's totally lusting after your mom." He said with a smirk.

"Ugh gross. Please I didn't need to hear that." I complained covering my ears in mock horror.

He just laughed.

"Anyways on a more serious matter, can we keep the part about them draining me and pouring the blood down my throat on the DL?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I just don't want to upset Lissa." I said.

"Yea well if Belikov finds out I was lying to him he's going to go all Russian on me so I guess I can keep it to myself." He agreed.

"Thanks.

"Anything for you Little Dhampir." He said softly kissing the top of my hair.

We sat there for a little while more and then I slowly drifted into consciousness.

**Please press the little green button... come on you know you want to.. Dimitri says "Review" Plus the next chapter is going to knock your socks off!! **


	20. Chapter 20: Sucked In

**Chapter 20: Sucked In**

**Disclaimer: I as usual do not own Vampire Academy or any of its Vampires unfortunately for me=( All is property of Richelle Mead. **

**So this chapter was really fun to write. I don't know how well I did at getting into Lissa's head to write her point of view, but this chapter only works from her point of view. You'll see what I mean. Hope you enjoy. I find this to be one of the most humerous chapters so far. **

**LPOV**

It had been an exhausting week and I was so ready to get back to normal. We had fed once at the motel. I had used compulsion on a bellboy and lured him back to the room. We'd only taken a small amount of blood though because we didn't want to hurt him. Then when we'd arrived at the Belikov's Dimitri's sister Karolina and his mother Olena had allowed us to take blood from them before dinner. They said it was not a big deal and not to argue. To tell the truth I was so badly in need of blood I didn't even think about arguing. Abe of course had his own feeders back at his place.

I was so relieved that Rose was okay. I don't even know what I would have done if we hadn't found her alive or worse if they had turned her Strigoi. I knew it wouldn't have been her fault and I would have loved her anyways, but seeing her dead or as a monster were two things I hoped I never had to see. After seeing how much blood was in that room we found I thought for sure I'd lost her. A tear escaped my eye as I thought of what my life would be like without her. I couldn't imagine it. We'd been together for so long that I don't think I could go on without her.

She wasn't just my future guardian. She was my sister, my best friend and a piece of me. When it was just the two of us on the run I'd never felt safer. She always put me first and it doesn't matter what that Bitch Kirova said. I knew I was never in danger if Rose was with me.

Christian and I were sleeping in Viktoria's room. We were both so exhausted that we weren't in the mood to do anything but sleep.

I sighed as I climbed into bed. Christian put his arms around me and snuggled me close to his body. I wished we could do this every night and soon we would be able to. We would move to court after graduation and we would be able to share an apartment or townhouse, me and Christian and Rose. Oh Rose was just going to love that. I felt bad that she always had to feel what I was feeling and take my darkness.

Also whoever my other guardian was going to be and whoever Christian's guardian would be will be living with us as well. Now that Dimitri was asking to be reassigned at court I would need a second guardian besides Rose. That is if Queen Bitch let her be my guardian. She better damn well after everything she went through to protect me and the rest of the Academy or so help me I'll compulse her into things she could never dream of. Wow I'm beginning to sound like Rose.

Whatever though I'm one angry girl. Who wouldn't be with losing my parents and brother, dealing with spirit, Victor Dashkov kidnapping me, Strigoi attacking the school and Rose almost dying. I think as soon as we get back to the academy I am planning a trip to court so Rose and I can have a day at the spa and relax a bit. I think we need it.

Christian was snoring lightly beside me. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.............................................................................................................................................................................

* * *

"Mmm that feels good." I moaned as Christian slid his hands all over my naked body. My eyes were closed and I could feel his lips moving over mine hungrily. "You sure know how to make a girl wake up happy." I said thoroughly enjoying what he was doing with his hands. Although come to think of it I didn't remember him removing my clothes.

"You're my everything Roza." He said to me huskily.

"And you're mine. " "WAIT ROZA?" I opened my eyes in shock to find Guardian Belikov all over me. I tried to scream and get him off me, but I didn't seem to have control over my own body. "Stop Oh my God what's going on? Why am I doing the nasty with Rose's boyfriend? Wait did he call me Roza?"

I tensed as he entered me and it was a little painful for a minute. OMG I realized I've been sucked into Rose's head. How do I get out? I was frantically trying to leave, but oh what he was doing was sooooo good. I almost wanted to stay. I love you Dimitri. "No No No." I shouted "I love Christian." Christian oh my God I am cheating on Christian in Rose's body. "Wow Dimitri has nice firm abs.

"Stop getting distracted and get out of there I told myself." How did this happen and how does Rose get out when she's in my head? Oh yea she has practice. I could feel the waves of pleasure rolling over my body and temporarily got caught up in the moment. I nearly forgot where I was and who I was with. I concentrated really hard on separating myself from Rose.

I woke up suddenly screaming and thrashing. I was hot and sweaty and tangled in the covers. I was also quite aroused and breathing heavily.

"Liss what's that matter? Are you okay?" asked Christian looking at me with concern.

I looked around the room. Had I been dreaming? No for certain I was not dreaming. It was so vivid and real I could actually feel him touching me and drawing himself in and out of me. It had actually hurt a little. Oh my God Rose was a virgin before Dimitri! Somewhere deep down I had known this, but still wow it had been a long time since intercourse had been painful for me.

I shuddered. I need to stop thinking about this. Christian was rubbing his eyes and looking at me like I was a mad woman.

"Were you having a bad dream?" he asked taking me into his arms. I let him cradle me against him.

"Something like that." I groaned. Boy was Rose going to be mad in the morning.

RPOV

I woke up with an odd feeling. It was worry and shame and it wasn't coming from me it was coming from Lissa.

"Ugh." I groaned. I was a little sore from last nights activities, but as I lay in Dimitri's strong arms I was sad knowing that I might not be back in them for a while."  
"Lissa's emotions were going crazy. I decided to slip into her head for a minute."

She was pacing outside of our bedroom door. She kept coming up to knock on it, but hesitated.

I pulled back into my own head, quietly slipped out of bed careful not to disturb my beautiful Russian God.

I slipped on the t-shirt and boxers that he had tossed onto the floor last night, opened the door and slipped out.

"Lissa? What's going on? Why are you out here?" I asked sleepily rubbing my eyes.

"We need to talk." She said in a business like tone. She all but dragged me into the bathroom with her.

"What's the matter?" I asked after she shut the door. I was kind of annoyed that she'd woken me up out of a peaceful night's sleep in my lover's arms.

"What's the matter?" she raged. "What's the matter is that I had sex with Guardian Belikov last night." She screeched in a whisper.

I looked at her confused. "Lissa have you been smoking crack?" I asked her.

"What do you mean you had sex with Dimitri last night?" I asked knowing full well she hadn't done that.

"You're my everything Roza." She cried out in a fake Russian accent using air quotes. Her anger and embarrassment just about hitting the roof.

My eyes widened. That's what Dimitri had said to me last night just before we'd made love. How could she have known that unless… I gasped.  
"Yes Rose I was in your head last night." She growled.

"Oh." Was all I could manage. I was in shock. The bond had always been one way, but if she was able to get into my head now that was going to suck. Haha well suck for her. It already sucked for me.

"Payback's a bitch isn't it?" I asked with a smirk.

"So not funny." She whined.

"I think it is, beside's it's about time you saw what a real man looks like naked. Sparky is definitely not equipped like Dimitri." I winked at her.

"Rose that's so gross. I don't want to think about Guardian Belikov that way. How am I going to look him in the face after having seen him naked last night? It's pervy." She said flabbergasted.

"You're telling me? I've seen far more of Sparky's skinny pasty ass than I ever wanted to." I griped.

She cracked a smile.

"Our bond must have grown since you and Adrian healed me again yesterday using a ton of spirit." I mused. I must have been closer to death than I thought.

"Maybe." She conceded.

"Oh my God does that mean Adrian can get into our heads too?" she cried.

I thought about the repercussions of that for a minute and laughed.

"That would make one hell of an orgy." I joked.

"Rose this is serious how can you joke about something like this?" she cried.

"Calm down Liss. Adrian isn't bonded with us because no one died and was brought back. Not this time." I said calmly.

She seemed to relax a little at that.

"Just act normal and no one will know." I said trying to be as calm as I could. Why couldn't life ever just let me rest a little? Every time I found some sort of happy moment something had to go and ruin it. Now any time Dimitri and I were together I was going to be wondering if Lissa was there too. I knew best friends shared everything, but Dimitri was one thing I didn't want to share.

"When we get back to the Academy I will practice with you so you can block me out like I do to you." I said.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Now you need to go back to your room." I said.

"Why?"

"Well unless you want to stay while I use the facilities." I said pointing to the toilet.

"Oh. I see your point. See you in a bit. And Rose I'm so happy you're not dead." She said throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Me too." I said wondering if I really meant it.

**Review or I'll turn Dimitri Strigoi and Rose will Marry Adrian! Haha! I'm so mean. Please Review. Did you think it was funny? **


	21. Chapter 21: Awkward Morning

**Chapter 21 Awkward Morning **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plotline. I wouldn't mind spending quality time with some hot vampires though. **

**Hey guys Thanks for all your support and for reviewing and reading my story. This is the last chapter that takes place in Russia. As usual all conversation between the Belikov's take place in Russian. My husband and I are leaving on Spring Break to go to Las Vegas on Monday and I will be gone until Saturday so this will be my last update for about a week. I made this chapter a double for you so don't stop reading because there is a lot more drama and excitement to come upon returning to St. Vladimirs. I will update as soon as I return home. Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!**

I woke up smiling. It was early and I had slept soundly with Roza in my arms. I reached over to pull her closer to me and realized the bed was empty. Immediately my heart began to race. Where was she?

Calm down. I told myself. She's probably in the bathroom or downstairs getting food or with the Princess. I relaxed a little, but got out of bed and put my pants on.

I opened the door to the hallway and all was quiet. I figured I'd use the bathroom and then look for Rose.

As I neared the bathroom I heard voices coming from inside. One of them was the Princess I think. I hoped to God the other wasn't Ozera. I did not need to have that image in my head. I stopped outside the door curiously and listened. I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't help myself.

The other voice was female as well. I should have known it was Rose in there with the Princess. Those two were close as can be, sometimes a little too close if you catch my drift. I couldn't make out what they were saying because most of it was in whispers, but I did quite distinctly hear the words Adrian and orgy. I backed away from the door slowly shaking my head. What were they up to? Did I even want to know? Probably not.

I went back to my room, put on a shirt and went downstairs to use the other bathroom. I tried to remain quiet while walking past the living room as not to disturb Ivashkov as he was sleeping on the couch, however when I entered the kitchen he was already there up and dressed having coffee with Viktoria.

I stopped in my tracks wait didn't Viktoria want to sleep on the couch last night? I raised my eyebrows at her as I helped myself to a cup of black coffee. I missed having real coffee. American coffee was weak and watered down. One had to consume three or four cups to get the amount of caffeine in a cup of Russian Coffee.

"Hello brother dear." Said Viktoria coming over and throwing her arms around me in a giant bear hug.

"Hello to you too my darling little sister." I responded hugging her back fiercely while shooting a menacing look at Ivashkov. I knew he spoke Russian so that prevented me from inquiring what went on last night.

He gave me that what did I do to you look he always has on his face when I am around.

"Dimka do you really have to go. You have only been here one day. It's not fair." She pouted like a child.

"Vik you know the life of a Guardian." I reminded her.

"Yea I know they come first." She said huffing. "It's just that it's been five years and well I've missed you." She said quietly. Mama has to so much. She'll never admit it to you, but she cries sometimes not knowing if you are alive and all."

I hated that there wasn't a man here to take care of my sisters and my mother. I hated that I was gone and they were left to fend for themselves unprotected. I didn't like causing my mother pain, but I couldn't stay here and she understood.

"Doesn't she get my letters?" I asked.

Every few months or so I would send a letter home, nothing detailed just saying I was okay and including some money to help them out. I never said where I was working or whom I was guarding, just the usual pleasantries. How I missed and loved them. Of course they were unable to write back not knowing where I was, but I preferred it that way. If I had too much contact with them it would be harder for me to stay away and I would be distracted, not that Rose wasn't a major distraction.

And speaking of distractions I looked up as Rose, Lissa and Christian entered the kitchen.

"Доброе утро Comrade." Said Roza trying her best to pronounce her Russian.

"Good morning to you too Roza." I said with a smile. "She was still wearing my t-shirt and boxers. I realized she didn't have anything else to wear. Her hair was mussed and she looked sleepy. God she was beautiful. I wished I could stare at her all day.

"Princess, Lord Ozera." I nodded in their direction.

"Morning." Said Christian.

"Morning Guardian Belikov." Mumbled Lissa averting her eyes to the floor as her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

Behind me I could hear Rose snickering. Lissa shot her a death glare and she stifled it immediately. My eyes traveled between the two of them curiously, but I didn't ask any questions. Whatever was going on probably had something to do with why they were in the bathroom together earlier. I reached into the cabinet and pulled out a few coffee mugs. I poured one for Rose. She took it and plopped down on a stool right next to Ivashkov.

"Morning Adrian." She said cheerily.

"Good morning Little Dhampir. Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yup." She said with a smile.

Something was up with them I could tell. I'll bet he dream walked her last night. Damn him. I think I was going to have to go back to hating him for now.

"So what time does your plane leave?" asked Viktoria.

"I've arranged for it to leave around six o'clock this evening." Said Adrian.

"So I'm starving." Said Rose. "Anyone else?"

I had forgotten how much she could eat.

I didn't know what we had in the house as I looked through the cabinets just as Janine and Abe entered the kitchen carrying a couple of bags.

"We thought you'd all be hungry." Said Abe. "So we brought breakfast.

"How are you Kizim?" he asked Rose kissing her cheek lightly.

"Starving. Baba! What's in the bag?" she asked with a big smile.

I didn't know much Turkish, but I recognized Baba as Turkish for father. She really had taken a liking to him. I wasn't so sure that was a good thing. I didn't think he would hurt her, but his business was not exactly something I wanted her involved with

"Lots of things." He said as he and Janine set the bags on the island.

Of course Rose dove right into the food. I was glad to see her appetite had not been affected by her kidnapping.

The Princess however looked as if she were going to fall asleep in her coffee cup.

"What's the matter Lissa didn't you sleep well?" asked Adrian.

Lissa's head shot up off the counter and she met Adrian's eyes. She scrutinized him then glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at her. She looked directly at Rose and if I'm not mistaken she said something through the bond. Rose laughed heartily almost choking on her bagel. Lissa's face again turned crimson and she gave Rose another death glare.

Adrian looked between the two with curiosity, but didn't say anything more.

My mother and other sisters had joined us downstairs as well by now. It was very loud with exciting chatter.

I decided to slip away for a few minutes to see if I could find Babushka. She disliked crowds, but I had a good feeling I knew where she was hiding.

I climbed the stairs to the attic and just as I suspected she was in there sitting in her rocking chair knitting needles in hand.

Her back was to me, but she knew it was me. Her guardian senses never truly left her.

"Sit down Dimka." She said without turning around.

I complied and went to sit beside her on an old crate.

"Your girl is very special." She said.

"I know she is."

"Dimka we are all proud of the man you have become. You and Rose will be the dawn of a new era. Don't be afraid to break the rules. Change is coming. Also be careful she is young and has a long life ahead of her. Don't rush things." She said gruffly raising her eyebrow. She is the one who taught me that trick.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew she said something to Rose last night, but I didn't know what.

"You will figure it out." She said tossing a small box at me. Always with the cryptic that one. I sighed.

As I left the attic I looked at the box she had thrown at me. I gaped at it in shock. "This couldn't be? It was impossible. Why would she give this to me? My head was spinning, but I knew that Babushka was rarely wrong about things so I would heed her warning if it wasn't too late already. Now how to tell Roza what she had implied was something entirely different.

**RPOV**

I was so glad that Abe had thought to bring food. I was starving. He was already winning the parental race in my opinion. Seeing Dimitri cook would have been entertaining to say the least. I wondered if he could. I know that I couldn't. When Liss and I were on our own in Portland neither of us had any idea what we were doing and ate take-out majority of the time. Oh how I longed for a big greasy Whopper from Burger King. I wondered if they had Burger King's in Russia.

This morning had been amusing so far. Lissa couldn't even look at Dimitri without blushing and she looked like she hadn't slept a wink.

Adrian being his usual self called her on it not knowing just how accurate he was.

"What's the matter Lissa didn't you sleep well?" asked Adrian.

Lissa's head shot up off the counter her face was frantic with worry. Her eyes darted madly around the room and everyone was staring at her. "Rose you didn't tell them did you?" she asked through the bond.

I nearly choked on my bagel. "No, but I might tell Dimitri later." I thought with a snicker.

"Rose you can't tell him I'm so embarrassed." She sent back giving me the stink eye.

Wait did she just hear me through the bond?

Uh yea I did. She said gleefully.

Oh Crap.

Adrian was just looking back and forth between us. I wondered if he could tell that we were communicating.

I looked around and Dimitri wasn't in the kitchen anymore. I frowned, but kept eating. I was so happy to be full after days of starvation and pain.

"So Kiz, introduce me to your friends." Said Abe joining me at the counter.

His clothes were still flashy as hell, but he seemed laid back.

"Okay." I said.

"Well this is Lissa. She's my bond mate and best friend." I said. She beamed and I could feel her happiness through the bond.

"It's nice to officially meet you Mr. Mazur." She said holding out her hand.

He kissed it gently. "The pleasure is mine Princess Dragomir."

"This is Adrian Ivashkov my number one pain in the ass Royal Moroi." I said winking at Adrian.

"Mr. Mazur nice to see you again." Said Adrian shaking his hand.

"You as well Adrian how are your parents. It's been a long time."

"They're well thank you." Replied Adrian.

I didn't know they had met before that's kind of weird.

"And this is Christian Ozera or as I like to call him Sparky." I said with a smirk.

Instead of glaring at me as per usual Christian just laughed and said. "Watch it Rosie or that Bagel is toast." He said creating a small controlled fireball in his hand and tossing it from one palm to another like a baseball.

:"Wow that's awesome!" exclaimed Viktoria her eyes wide with excitement.

"That's impressive Mr. Ozera. Being a fire user myself I know how much control it takes to perform a stunt like that. How long have you been practicing offensive magic?" asked Abe.

Christian looked terrified and guilty all at the same time. Take that Sparky I thought. That's for calling me Rosie.

"I uh." He stuttered flustered.

"Don't be afraid. I fully support Moroi using their magic to help fight." Said Abe lightly. I myself have had to go into battle on more than one occasion and I find my magic to be very useful in my line of work."

"Yea don't fret Sparky. You did save my life and all during the battle." I said taking another bite of my bagel.

"My aunt Tasha teaches me." He said sheepishly.

"So you're Rose's father?" asked Lissa timidly trying to divert the attention from Christian.

I gaped openly at her. _Liss who told you that? _

_No one it's so obvious Rose! I mean where do you think you got your snarky attitude and wicked cool hair?_

_Yea that's true_

"Abe Mazur is your father?" Choked Christian with a horrified expression on his face.

"Guilty as charged." Replied Abe with amusement. It made me feel good that he openly acknowledged being my father like it was something to be proud of.

Adrian already knew, but as usual didn't seem perturbed by it.

I saw Dimitri come back into the kitchen with a strange expression on his face. Usually he had on his guardian mask, but he looked deep in thought about something.

"Hey Vik." I said. I might need to borrow some clothes for the plane ride home. I said as everyone was disbursing from the kitchen.

"No problem Rose. I'll put some in Dimka's room for you."

I heard a soft grunt from behind me. I saw my mother holding back her anger as she glared between me and Dimitri. She hadn't been the biggest fan of me sitting in the kitchen wearing his boxers and t-shirt.

"Thanks Vik." I mouthed to her. I didn't exactly want my mother to know that Dimitri and I were sharing a room.

"Mom don't say it. You already knew we were together." I said knowing he'd already spilled the beans about us having sex.

"It doesn't mean I have to like it." She grumbled exiting the room.

I stifled a laugh as I looked at the look or terror on Dimitri's face as he stared after my mother.

"Close your mouth Comrade you'll let the flies in." I said teasingly.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. There were many tearful goodbyes.

Viktoria, Olena, Sonya and Karolina said goodbye to Dimitri. They all hugged me fiercely and Vik promised to e-mail often.

Then Abe surprised me by coming over and enveloping me in a gigantic hug. He took his scarf off and wrapped it around my neck. "It's chilly out there Kizim you'll need this. "He said.

"I'll see you soon." I asked.

"You can count on it." He said. Before I left he gave me his private cell phone number so I could call him if I needed.

I noticed that he and my mother had a private goodbye in the other room while they thought no one was watching. I eavesdropped on them until they started making out and then I couldn't stand it and left.

We'd boarded the plane and were about halfway home before I couldn't take the pain of the ghosts anymore and Adrian had to put me to sleep.

I leaned my head against Dimitri's shoulder and snuggled into his warm embrace.

"Love you Comrade." I said as I drifted off.

"I love you to Roza." He said softly.

**  
Review or Dimitri will cheat on Rose with Tasha!! And what did Babushka give Dimka??? What is the mystery? Tell me your theory and I might just tell you if you are right. Stay tuned to find out…….**


	22. Chapter 22: Back at the Academy

**Chapter 22 Back at the Academy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Everything is the property of Richelle Mead. **

**Sorry it's been so long since my last update. I was on Spring Break in Las Vegas. Man was it cold there. I was expecting it to be in the 80's. It was in the 60's blah!!! Anyways thanks for your reviews and I have to say that you all have very vivid imaginations and great ideas about what Babushka gave Dimitri. Let's just say that one of you is right about what she gave him, but still not entirely on the right page. Keep reading to find out. **

DPOV

While Roza was asleep I thought back to my conversation with Abe Mazur.

(Flashback)

Just as we were getting ready to leave Baia Abe pulled me aside.

"Belikov, I want a word with you." He said gruffly speaking in Russian.

I was not afraid of Abe Mazur, but I didn't want to get on his bad side. I didn't want to cause Rose any pain or make her choose sides so I obeyed his instruction.

"Mr. Mazur what is on your mind?" I asked politely.

"I don't doubt that you've been intimate with my daughter. I wasn't born yesterday so don't try to deny it." My God where was he going with this?

"Look I have high respect for what you do and for your family. From what I know you are an honorable man and I trust that you won't do or say anything to hurt Rosemarie in any way. Although I have been absent from her life I care deeply for her and will not hesitate to remove anyone or anything that hurts or threatens her happiness. Do you understand?" he asked his voice never changing from its even tone.

"Yes, Sir I do. I love Rose and I would never do anything to hurt her and I promise to protect her at all costs." I said truthfully.

"Good. Then we have nothing to worry about." He said turning on his heel rejoining the rest in the living room.

I sighed and rejoined the rest as well. I wasn't expecting him to be so civil.

End Flashback

When we showed up at the academy Roza was still asleep. I'd asked Adrian to keep her that way until she was in the safety of her own room. I didn't want her getting into it with Kirova or anyone. She'd been through enough.

I carried her off the plane under the watchful eye of Janine and into Headmistress Kirova's office. I had already phoned Alberta asking her to meet us there. Lissa and Adrian joined us in case we needed to use compulsion. I disliked the idea of dishonesty, however in this case there wasn't much I could do.

When we arrived Alberta and Kirova were already there waiting. They both gasped as they took in the sight of the precious girl in my arms.

"Guardian Belikov how is this possible?" asked Alberta the shock waring off of her first. "I thought you said she was taken?"

I set Rose down on the couch on the far end of the office and Janine stepped forward.

"I had a lead as to where my daughter was taken and I asked Guardian Belikov to accompany me to find her." She said.

"I know it was risky, but she is my only daughter and I needed to do everything I could."

"Of course Janine I wouldn't expect any less of you." Replied Kirova with a kind smile on her face.

I looked at her in disbelief. Really she wasn't going to make a scene? That was a first.

She glanced over to a sleeping Rose.

"Janine your daughter is by far the brightest, most well trained novice at this school. She is an asset to us all. Her part in the battle last week was tremendous. I am more than thrilled to see that she is alive and well I presume." She said genuinely.

"Has she been examined by Dr. Olendski yet?" Alberta asked.

"No we are headed there next." I said.

"Her room is the same we haven't had the heart to change it yet and with you being gone we have yet to organize any sort of service so that won't be an issue. Thank God." Alberta explained.

I knew I had to speak with her privately because of what she had seen after Rose was taken.

Adrian and Lissa entered the office.

"Princess, Lord Ivashkov I'm glad to see that your trip to visit your parents went well." Greeted Kirova.

"Thank you it went very well." Said Lissa. Then she got a strange look in her eyes as she moved in front of Kirova and Alberta.

"You will forget that Adrian, Christian and I left the country. If anyone asks we were unexpectedly summoned to the Royal Court and that is where we were. Do you understand?" she asked forcefully.

They both nodded in agreement then snapped out of their daze.

Janine looked as if she were about to have a stroke, but remained silent.

"Oh my God Rose you're alive!" cried Lissa running over to Rose and throwing her arms around her.

At this Rose stirred and opened her eyes.

"Liss?" she asked fake tears in her eyes.

"Shhh it's okay everything is okay." Whispered the princess winking at her inconspicuously.

This whole scene of course had been skillfully orchestrated on the plane ride home.

"Guardian Hathway. I'm sure you'll want Rose to get checked out at the infirmary now." Said Kirova.

"Of course." Said Janine walking over and scooping Rose up into her arms. Which given that she was so tiny was quite hysterical to watch. Although she was tiny she was freakishly strong even for a Guardian.

"Mom." Rose groaned. "I can walk you know."

"Just go with it until we're out of here." Said Janine. I chuckled as we all left Kirova's office.

Rose checked out fine with Dr. Olendski seeing as Lissa and Adrian had healed her completely.

"Rose can we talk tomorrow?" asked Janine hesitantly as we walking back from the infirmary.

Rose seemed a little surprised.

"Sure how about you come get me for breakfast tomorrow." She responded.

Janine agreed and went off to guest housing with Adrian.

"See you later Little Dhampir." Called Adrian over his shoulder. He winked at her.

I groaned. How much trouble can one get for killing a Royal Moroi? I wondered. It might be worth it to get rid of him though I pondered this as we reached the Moroi dorms.

"See you later Rose." Called Christian.

Lissa enveloped Rose in a huge hug before joining Christian.

"So." Said Rose kicking halfheartedly at a stone on the ground in front of her.

There was no doubt about it this was awkward. We were standing in front of the Novice dormitory. Should I walk her in? Should I leave her at the door? Should I go in with her and stay? Well I know which I would prefer but I needed to speak with Alberta.

"I guess I'll see you at practice tomorrow?" she asked looking at me expectantly.

"Practice?" I asked dumbly.

"Yea we are still doing that aren't we?" she asked nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

"Of course, but I thought maybe you'd take the rest of the week off and start them up on Monday." I said.

She looked disappointed. "Oh." Is all she said.

I smiled at her. "Roza you don't need to have an excuse to come and see me now." I said chuckling lightly.

"I don't?" she asked surprised.

"No, I always want to see you." I said earnestly. "We have a lot to talk about, but first you need to sleep."

"Okay." She said reluctantly.

I glanced around. We were alone it was dinner time and everyone was in the dining hall. We'd eaten on the plane.

I drew her to me and gently kissed her soft lips. "I love you Roza."

"Mmm Back at you Comrade." She said pulling out of my arms. She turned and went inside her dorm.

I definitely needed a cold shower before bed tonight.

I walked over to the Dhampir dorms and knocked on Alberta's door. I hoped she was here. I didn't think she usually took dinner shift.

I was right and she answered the door. She didn't seem at all surprised to see me.

"Come in Dimitri." She said skipping the formalities now that we were alone.

"Have a seat." She gestured toward one of the two chairs facing each other on the far side of the room.

"I suppose you're here to talk about Rose?" she asked breaking the silence.

I nodded.

"I'm very happy for the two of you." She said bluntly like it was no big deal.

"Wait what?" I stuttered staring at her in disbelief.

"I've known about the two of you for a while now." She admitted with a slight smile.

I just stared at her with my mouth hanging open.

"It was so obvious after the Spokane incident. You were out of your mind with worry much more so than the rest of us. I think you were more upset than Janine."

Had I really been that obvious? I wondered.

"The look on your face when you saw Rose covered in blood holding that sword over Mr. Ashford's body was indescribable. It was relief, mixed with love and fear that she would never recover."

I stared at her dumbfounded. I can't believe I was so easy to read. I had spent years perfecting my guardian mask. Although Rose could see right through it most times.

"Also I do understand Russian." She said with a wink.

Well I'll be damned. The things I'd said when I thought no one was listening.

"And you're not going to report me?" I asked with a grimace.

"Why would I? It's rare that guardian's find true love like you and Rose have. Who am I to say that it is wrong? We are afforded very few luxuries in this line of work so I advise you to hold on tight to what you have and never let go."

Wow to say that I was surprised was the least. I can't believe what I was hearing, but I would take it.

"Besides if Janine granted you permission then the hard part is over." She said letting out a deep chuckle.

"To be honest I thought she'd be on trial for your murder when she found out."

"So did I." I said. "But she was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Although she did slap me."

"You got off easy."

"That I did."

I got up to leave. "Thank you Alberta. You have no idea what this means to us." I said.

"Just don't get caught until after next week." She said sternly.

"What's next week?"

"I thought you of all people would know?" she said with a smirk.

As I left her room and trudged slowly down the hallways towards my own I thought about her words.

I scratched my head. What's next week? Hell I didn't even know what day of the week it was right now let alone the date. When was the attack? How long were we gone?

I didn't realize now tired I was until I sat down to remove my shoes.

I needed a shower. As I went through my nightly routine I ran through the list of things I had to do in the next few days. I determined that today was Friday. The attack happened on a Thursday the rescue on Friday. I left for Russia late Saturday we were there three days one at my mother's a day and half back that puts us at today being Friday which makes tomorrow Saturday the 27th of February?

It hit me then. Rose's birthday was the first week in March. March 7th I think. That's what Alberta meant by keeping it under wraps until after next week. She will be 18. I smiled I had her birthday present all ready to go. It wasn't much, but I think she'll like it.

I had Guardian duty tomorrow. I still had to talk to Rose about what Babushka had said as well as Abe Mazur and how she escaped the Strigoi. Then there was the relationship talk. I needed to call over to the Royal court and put in a favor. My head hurt just thinking about it. Thank God my shift was in the evening tomorrow.

I needed time to sleep and then to settle things with Rose.

I fell asleep the instant my head hit the pillow.

**Review or Abe will send his assassins after Dimitri=) **


	23. Chapter 23: True Friendship

**Chapter 23 True Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Everything is property of Richelle Mead. **

**Two updates in one day? I must be out of my mind. I just thought you deserved a double update for me being gone all week. Enjoy! This chapter is light and fluffy. **

RPOV

Being back at the Academy after all that had happened was surreal. I took a shower, hopped into my cozy flannel pajamas and got under the covers. It felt so good to wear my own clothes and sleep in my own bed. I actually fell asleep right away despite the questions that were swirling around in my head.

I woke with a start. I didn't know why. I wasn't having a nightmare that I could remember and everything was quiet.

Then I heard Lissa in my head.

_Rose can you hear me?_ she said.

Should I answer? Was something wrong? She didn't feel panicked or anything. Was she going to wake me up in the middle of the night now anytime she felt like it if I responded?

_Rose? Please can you hear me? _she asked again louder.

I sighed and sat up rubbing my tired eyes.

_Yes I can hear you. What's wrong_? I asked.

There was no answer. I wondered if she heard me.

_Nothing I just can't sleep and wanted to know if you would come over and stay with me the rest of the night?_ she asked. I could feel underneath that she had missed me and just wanted to have me close by. I smiled at that. My close friendship with Lissa was one of the few constants in my life.

_Sure I'll be over in a few_. Hey this was better than having a cell phone. Now we wouldn't even have to pass notes in class. Eat that Stan!!!

I had learned how to escape my room quite well over the years. It was a piece of cake after what I'd been through this past week.

I climbed out the window, crossed the roof and leapt deftly to the ground. I landed quietly absorbing the impact with my legs.

I checked to see if the guardian on duty was paying attention. Lucky for me it was a new one and he wouldn't think to check to see if the infamous Rose Hathaway was sneaking out or not. You'd think they'd have a Guardian under my window by now for how often I used it to escape.

I quickly ran across the quad to the Moroi dorms and climbed the tree closest to Lissa's room. I swung myself onto the roof and tapped on her window. The light went on and she let me in.

She embraced me tightly as soon as my slippers hit the floor.

"Rose, I'm sorry to have woken you, but I just missed you so much." She cried holding me in a Moroi death grip. Which I easily could have gotten out of had I wanted to.

I hugged her back fiercely. I really had missed her. We hadn't had much time alone since we returned to the Academy last fall. What with my house arrest, extra trainings with Dimitri and Lissa spending twenty-four seven sucking face with Sparky in the Church attic it was a wonder we were still friends.

"So." I said flopping down on her bed and making myself at home. "You have any snacks?"

She laughed and pointed to the usual cabinet where she stashed candy bars and flaming hot Cheetos for me.

I broke open a bag and started munching.

"What do you want to know?" I asked

I could feel her skirting around how to ask me about the kidnapping.

"Everything of course." She said snuggling up next to me. I stroked her hair lightly.

I would tell her a glossed over version of the truth like usual. She was far too innocent to hear the gory details of battling Strigoi.

I launched into my story and told her everything except for the part about the blood being forced down my throat.

"So how do you feel about Abe Mazur?" she asked curiously.

"Well he explains my sparkling personality and disregard for authority don't you think." I snickered.

She laughed. "I agree. But how did Janine Hathaway fall for such a mobster?" she thought aloud.

"Still trying to figure that one out myself. He seems okay though. She says he's a good guy and I believe her."

"I still can't believe she didn't kill Dimitri." I said.

Her body stiffened. "You're lucky I don't kill you for not telling me." She said bitterly.

I sighed. "Liss I wanted to believe me, but I just couldn't. You have to understand. As controversial as it is for you to be hooking up with Sparky it's much worse for me and Dimitri. For one you are free to do what you want. You're a Moroi. We guardian's have rules about that kind of thing. It's completely frowned upon and for two guardian's to be together not even factoring in the age difference and the fact that he's my mentor.

I felt her guilt through the bond. Then sadness.

"Hey don't go there." I said knowing full well that she blamed herself for me not being able to have a life.

"No Rose it's my fault. If you weren't stuck taking care of me you could be together the right way." She said sniffling.

"I'm holding you back and you know it."

"Listen to me Liss." I said pulling her into a sitting positon so I could look her in the eye.

"You are not a job to me. You are my best friend and my sister. When I thought I was dying and my life flashed before my eyes there were bits and pieces of Mason, Eddie and Dimitri, regrets with my family and then all the happy memories. They were all with you. Every last one of them. I don't have any regrets about protecting you. You are so worth it. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had a family, good friends and I'd literally be dead twice. You saved me in that accident, but I know it was you who refused to let go of me after I was taken. You're the only one up until I met Dimitri that ever loved me." I said tears rolling down my cheeks.

She smiled brightly. I could feel the love she had for me through the bond and that she was truly happy that I finally found love with Dimitri.

"Rose you know I feel the same way about you. You've been there every time I've needed you. You stuck by me through my awkward stage when everyone was teasing me about not specializing, you supported my decision to be with Christian even though you didn't like him, you put your life on the line for me every day when we were in Portland and you try to protect me from everything bad that happens most of the time at your own expense. You even take my spirit darkness and it makes you so sick. I'm so so sorry. I love you so much, you're the most important person in my life and I will stand by whatever decision you make." She said choking back a sob.

"What do you mean whatever choice I make?" I asked.

"I mean I release you from being my guardian Rose. If you want to go and have a real life I will find another guardian and follow you wherever you want to go. Just so long as you never stop being my best friend."

I was in shock. She was being so selfless. She would give up everything for me. I could feel the sincerity behind her offer. I knew I would never ask her to do that, but the fact that she would sacrifice her plans for me made me so happy.

"Liss I want nothing more than to be your guardian. That is why Dimitri is trying to get reassigned somewhere at court so we can stay together. I would never leave you NEVER do you hear me." I said.

She nodded and we embraced tightly.

"Now enough with the serious talk let's watch a movie." I said wiping the tears from my face and hers.

I didn't have a tv in my room so it was rare that I watched movies unless I was with Lissa.

"Can we watch Twilight?" she asked hopefully.

I groaned. "Again?" We'd watched this movie at least a dozen times.

"Please." She whined.

"You just want to ogle Robert Pattinson." I teased her and she blushed.

"He reminds me of Christian." She said with a giggle.

Oh Brother this was going to be a long night.

The Twilight Saga was one of the few books I'd been able to get through. To tell the truth I went through a phase where I was madly in love with Edward Cullen. Now that I had Dimitri though I didn't need to be in love with a fictional character anymore.

"Fine we can watch Twilight again." I acquiesced.

I fell asleep about halfway through the movie.

Thankfully my dreams were my own.

**Review or Rose will leave Dimitri for Edward Cullen!! **


	24. Chapter 24: The Birds & the Bees

**Chapter 24 The Birds & The Bees**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. If I did Dimitri would never have been turned and Rose would have had her happy ending. That being said here is the next chapter.**

Lissa woke me just in time to run back to my room shower and change before meeting my mother for breakfast. As usual Janine was right on time and waiting for me as I finished blow drying my hair.

She knocked and waited for me to open the door.

"Hi." I said lamely opening the door so she could come in.

I think this is the first time she's seen my room and I mean ever.

"Come in." I said.

She looked uncomfortable, but came in anyways. She looked around the small, cluttered room and gingerly sat on the edge of my bed.

"How are you today Rose?" she asked politely. Well that was different. I assumed once we were back at the Academy that she would resume her usual bitchiness.

"Never better." I said grabbing my black hoodie and sliding into my converse.

"You look tired." She mused.

"Eh, nothing I can't handle."

"So breakfast huh?" I said trying to break up the silence.

"Yea, I thought we could go grab something and find somewhere to talk." She said thoughtfully.

"Sounds good to me."

We left my room and I followed her in silence to the cafeteria. As usual I was met with stares. Lissa, Christian, Eddie and Adrian were at their regular table. Lissa waved to me. I waved back.

I loaded my plate with the usual donuts and pancakes and grabbed chocolate milk. Janine didn't eat like me she grabbed fresh fruit, cereal and orange juice. Damn all these guardian's were alike. Dimitri liked to tease me about my poor eating habits at every occasion.

I followed her out of the cafeteria and over to the small indoor patio that Dimitri and I had had hot chocolate in after my early ghostly encounters. We ate in silence for a few minutes.

I observed my mother as she ate. She didn't have her usual guardian mask on . She looked nervous. She was fidgeting. I had a feeling she was on the verge of asking me questions I didn't want to answer. I decided it was best to get it over with.

"What do you want to know?" I asked more bluntly than I meant to. I really hoped she didn't bring me here to discuss the birds and the bees. Talk about embarrassing. It was bad enough she knew about me losing my virginity.

"Guardian Belikov filled me in on some things." She said looking slightly distraught.

"Rose I hate that our relationship is so strained that you didn't even tell me that you died." She said and for the first time in my life I saw hurt in her eyes.

"It wasn't a big deal." I said trying to brush it off.

"Not a big deal Rose? You died." She said angrily.

"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped. "I live with it every day. Why do you think Lissa and I ran away? If anyone found out about what she did they would be after her. I was trying to protect her. Look at what Victor Dashkov put her through when we were brought back. Being linked to her mind isn't exactly fun. You don't know what it's like. I am going to go crazy someday and you act like it's my fault." I was screaming by this point.

"Rose I didn't know that was why you left."

"Would you have believed me if I told you before?" I asked

"Probably not." She replied guiltily looking down at the floor.

"That's what I thought." I snorted.

"You just think that after all these years of ignoring me and berating me at every chance you get and I will just get over it and we can be best friends. I don't think so Janine!"

She was crying now.

"No Rose I don't think that. I hate myself for treating you like that. I was young I didn't know what to do. I took the coward's way out and I can't tell you how much I regret it."

I felt bad for being such a bitch, but I just couldn't stop my outburst.

"You didn't even let me see my father. You let me think he didn't want me all these years"

"I was wrong." She admitted. "I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't."

"What do you want from me?" I asked with a sigh.

"I just want you to give me a chance Rose. I want to be a part of your life. I want to know you."

" A little late for that don't you think?" I grumbled under my breath.

"I know I don't deserve it. Please Rose." She begged.

I didn't know what to say. All these years this is all I'd ever wanted from her and now that she was offering it to me I didn't know if I wanted it anymore. All the hurt and pain and loneliness I'd felt over the years. Every birthday she didn't call. She didn't even come to my eighth grade graduation. I wasn't sure if I would ever forgive her. I did know that I wanted to try.

She was looking at me as I sat there thinking.

"I'll try, but I won't make any guarantees." I said quietly.

"Thank you." She said.

"Does that mean you will be sticking around?" I asked.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that." She said.

"Abe and I were talking and we thought it would be a good idea if I was reassigned to the Academy for a while." She said.

"They're short on Guardian's and Lord Seltzky has already found a replacement for me." She added.

"I mean if it is okay with you that I am here." She asked.

"I don't mind." I said absentmindedly picking at my cuticles.

We sat in silence again for a few minutes.

"So you're not staying just to keep an eye on me and Dimitri are you?" I asked.

The look on her face was priceless.

"Er uh no." she sputtered.

"Good because if you try and break us apart or if you tell anyone about our relationship that's a deal breaker on this whole trying to have a relationship thing." I said forcefully. I meant what I said.

" I won't stand in the way Rose. Just be careful. He's older than you and I don't want you to feel pressured to…"

"Really mom are we going to have the sex talk? I think you're too late for that." I laughed a little.

She blushed. I'd never seen her so unguarded.

"I should get back to my room." I said. It had been a long night and I was pretty tired. Also, I was going through Dimitri withdrawal. I wanted to see him.

I said goodbye to my mother and she actually hugged me. I felt like I was four years old again. I reveled in the moment for a minute as she clutched me hard against her body.

"I love you Rosemarie." She said.

"Me too mom." I responded.

DPOV

My morning shift was nearly over. I had a fitful night's sleep. I couldn't keep my mind off Roza. I wanted so badly to hold her in my arms and never let her leave.

I got restless and decided to go for a walk. As I was approaching the novice dorms I saw a figure running gracefully across the roof. A student was trying to escape. The Guardian on duty was oblivious. I waited for the right time to catch whoever it was, but as they leapt to the ground I realized that it was Rose. I shook my head and ducked behind a tree. We'd only been back for less than a day and already she was breaking the rules. I kept out of sight as she glanced around to make sure she was in the clear and then darted off to where I already knew she was going. When she reached the Moroi dorms she scaled a tree and swung herself deftly onto the roof. She tapped lightly on the princess's window and the lights flicked on.

Once she was safely inside I continued to walk around aimlessly. After a while I went back to my room and fell into a dreamless slumber.

I woke early and worked out some of my frustrations in the gym. I then had a shift patrolling the perimeter of the campus.

As I walked past the guardian buildings I saw Janine and Rose in a heated argument. Rose was screaming and Janine was sitting back taking it which was quite the opposite of usual. I had to hand it to her she was bold to expect Rose to accept a mother daughter relationship, but I think it would be good for them to at least try. I knew they weren't close like my family, but I didn't know how I'd get along without their support. I wanted Rose to have that too.

I continued walking the perimeter of the campus passing by the cabin where Rose and I had shared our first night together. It brought a smile to my face. I had had no intention of being with her like that until she was eighteen. I hoped to wait until after graduation, but that night we were both so vulnerable. It was perfection. I couldn't have planned a more romantic way to show Rose how much I loved her. I didn't regret it for a minute and if that made me a pedophile then so be it. I was through caring what other's thought.

I opened the door and went inside. The sheets on the bed were still rumpled from where we had made love.

I picked up one of the pillows on the bed and brought it to my nose. It still smelled like her shampoo.

When my shift was over I went straight over to the novice dorms. I couldn't help it I needed to see her. She was like a drug to me and I was definitely too far gone to stop now.

I knocked on the door.

**Review and you might just get a Sexy Russian knocking on your door tonight!!! Also, seriously I have posted about half the story right now and I need some ideas for Strigoi attacks.; I am really bad at writing the unhappy parts of the story. If you give me a good idea I will send you a hint about future chapters. Please help. Dimitri would...=)**


	25. Chapter 25: The Gift

**Chapter 25: The Gift**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. **

**So are you all ready for the big reveal? Are you ready to find out what Babushka gave Dimitri and decipher her cryptic message? Hope you like it! **

RPOV

I'd spent the rest of the morning organizing my room a bit and then I took a short nap. I was lying on my bed listening to my IPOD when there was a knock at the door. I quickly checked to see where Lissa was. It wasn't her she was with Christian of course. Those two were like rabbits

I opened the door and was slightly surprised to see my Russian God standing before me.

I stood there for a minute before regaining my composure.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I glanced out into the hallway. There was no one around.

"Sure." I said opening the door wider so he could enter.

He'd never been in my room before and I was glad I'd tidied up a little this morning.

I shut the door and before I could turn around he had his arms around me in a tight embrace.

"I missed you my Roza." He breathed sexily against my neck. It sent tingles down my spine.

I turned around to face him. "I missed you too Comrade." I said.

He kissed me softly on the lips and then moved over to sit down on the edge of my bed.

He motioned for me to sit next to him.  
"We need to talk Roza." He said.

Oh my God was this it? Was he going to can me right here in my own room? My heart rate started spiraling out of control and I could feel the blood pounding in my ears. Of course he wouldn't have broken up with me at his mother's house or on the plane ride home he was worried about what the others would think.

I was so lost in my state of panic that I didn't notice him calling my name.  
"Roza?" he asked with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Just get it over with." I said snapping back into the present.

"Get what over with?" he asked perplexed.

"The whole we can't be together because it's wrong and we have a duty to fulfill and blah blah blah." I said hoping he'd just rip the band aid off quickly. The tension was beginning to wear on me.

"Roza after everything you still think I don't want to be with you?" he asked hurt evident in his voice.

I couldn't look at him.

"Look at me Rose." He said sternly. He grabbed my chin and lifted my face to meet his gaze.

"I braved the wrath of Janine Hathaway, took three Royal Moroi out of the country on a Strigoi hunt, got threatened by a mobster and spent the last week worried sick that I'd never see the love of my life again and you doubt me?"

His eyes were so filled with love and desire that I couldn't help feeling a little giddy.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I don't mean to doubt you. It's just that no one has ever loved me before." I said in a whisper.

He drew me close to his chest. "You are my everything Roza. My heart belongs to you and only you. Forever." He whispered against my ear kissing me softly on my forehead.

"And it isn't true that no one has ever loved you Rose." He said.

"Lissa loves you like a sister. Despite what you think you know your mother loves you. Hell even Ivashkov is in love with you." He said with a chuckle.

I laughed. "You're not going to hurt him are you?"

"No, but I want to punch him every time I catch him looking at you." He admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about Comrade. только ваши (only yours)" I said with a smile.

He laughed. "Who has been teaching you Russian?" he asked.

"The internet."

"Always full of surprises aren't you Roza."

"Well you won't teach me." I pouted.

"All in good time." He said.

"Rose. I meant it when I said we need to talk."

"Okay." I replied.

"What about?"

"What happened to Galina and the other Strigoi?" he asked.

I was so hoping he wasn't going to ask that.

"I don't know. They left me in the basement and they left. They didn't come back so I escaped." I said hoping he would buy it.

He had that look on his face that told me he knew I was lying. Damn it why is he so good at reading me.

"Tell me the truth Roza."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I insisted trying my hardest to convince him. I wish I could use compulsion.

He sighed and took my hand in his.  
"Rose I know you are going to think I am giving you a Zen lesson, but it is very important that you tell me what exactly happened with the Strigoi. They are still out there somewhere and by keeping secrets you are putting yourself and Lissa in danger. They obviously had a plan and it failed. Is there anything you know that could stop them before attacking again?" he asked in his mentor tone.

I groaned. "I was their big plan and it failed can't we just leave it at that?"

"Why don't you want me to know?" he asked his face thoughtful.

"Did they do something to you?"

"Something like what?" I asked still trying to get out of explaining.

He had this look of pure anguish on his face as he asked me the next question.

"Did they, did he… Did he touch you?" he sputtered.

"Touch me?" I asked confused.

He looked as if he were going to be sick waiting for my answer.

My eyes widened as I got the meaning behind his words.

"Oh touch me as in.. sexually?" I asked.

He took a deep breath. His fists were clenched. "Yes."

I looked at him with love. "No nothing like that." I said honestly.

He let out the breath he was holding and ran his hand through his hair.

He muttered something in Russian.

"I'm getting hungry Comrade can we talk about this some other time?" I asked praying it wouldn't come up again.

He sighed. "Go eat with your friend's. I'll be back later." He said kissing my cheek softly.

I hated lying to him, but I didn't want anyone to know about the Strigoi blood. They'd think I was a blood whore or worse that I was part Strigoi or that I was a freak because I didn't turn.

My head hurts. I thought as I walked towards the cafeteria. Lissa, Christian and Eddie were already there.

"Hey Rose I got you a plate." Called Lissa.

"Great I'm starved." I said plopping down beside her and stuffing down the plate of mac and cheese that she'd gotten for me.

"So Sparky did you know Lissa thinks you look like Robert Pattinson?" I asked with a smirk.

_Rose you are so mean! Why did you tell him that? _Asked Lissa through the bond.

_I know I'm really evil aren't I? Just thought I'd have a little fun with him. _

"Seriously what is it with girls and that guy? I mean he's not even a real vampire." Griped Christian.

"Oh yea and you're the big bad." I joked. Eddie and Lissa both busted out laughing.

Adrian came in a few minutes later looking slightly more disheveled than usual.

"Hey Adrian what's up?" I asked.

"Hey Little Dhampir." He slurred obviously more than a little drunk.

"Woah lay off the Vodka." I cried covering my nose as he bent down to kiss me on the cheek.

"Sorry I had to make up for lost time." He said with a grin.

"By the way." He whispered. "The Russian cornered me. He was asking all kinds of questions about the Strigoi."

I put my head in my hands. Why won't he give it up already? I thought.

DPOV

I walked back to Roza's room for the second time today only it was just after curfew. The guardian on duty at the desk wasn't paying a lick of attention to who was coming or going. He was too busy text messaging his girlfriend or something.

This time I used my key to enter. Rose was already in bed snuggled tightly under the covers. I knew she was fake sleeping though her breathing was very uneven.

I really wished she'd just tell me whatever it was she was hiding from me. I'd figure it out eventually, but I couldn't figure out why she didn't trust me with it.

Besides there were other things I needed to speak to her about mainly something Babushka had implied.

I locked the door behind me, slipped off my pants and shoes and climbed into bed next to her. I pulled her close against my chest and kissed the back of her neck. I'd spoken with Kirova earlier. All of the guardian's involved in the battle would be receiving a battle star molnija mark. It would signify that they had been in a battle and had killed too many Strigoi to count.

Rose would be getting one as well as Christian if he wanted one. It was highly unusual that they would give a mark to a Moroi, but the Queen had okayed it.

"Roza I whispered against her neck. I know you are not asleep." She tensed up a little.

"If you are going to pretend than I am just going to have to entice you to open your eyes." I said huskily in her ear.

I put my hands on her hips and pulled her tightly against my growing erection. My lips caressed her ear, her cheek and then her lips.

"Ugh." She moaned in pleasure. "Alright Comrade I'm awake." She groaned.

"That's more like it." I said with a smirk.

She pushed against me seductively. I groaned. We couldn't do this again. Not right now. As much as I wanted to be with her I needed to have some self control.

"What's the matter Comrade?" she asked with a pout.

"Roza there's something I need to talk to you about." I said pulling myself up into a sitting position and turning on the lamp on her bedside table. I pulled her up with me and sat with her against my chest.

"Okay." She said. "Shoot."

"When Babushka spoke to you did she mention anything about our relationship?" I asked wondering if she'd said anything to Rose.

"Yea I told you she said we were Kindred." She replied.

"Yes, I know that, but I was talking about anything more important? God I really wished we didn't have to talk about this, but it was necessary.

She relented. "Fine, she told me that I was going to give you a gift. A special one. But honestly Comrade I have no idea what she was babbling about. I have no idea what I would buy you for a gift so she must be mistaken." She said irritably.

I laughed internally. She always took things so literally.

"Roza I don't think she was talking about buying me something." I said softly comprehending what Babushka had meant by "gift"

She turned her head so I could see her face. She looked confused, but her eyes were curious.

"Well then I really have no clue." She said exasperated

"Do you?" she asked eying me carefully.

"I think so." I replied. Babushka was right this would be a very special gift, but we were not ready for this particular gift right now.

I just needed to get this out in the open.

"Rose as I was leaving Babushka told me you were special. She said that you are young and not to rush things."

"Okay." She said still confused.

I sighed. "I didn't know what that meant either until she threw this at me." I said pulling the box out of my pocket and handing it to her.

She turned the box over and looked at it carefully. Her face scrunched up.

"Comrade. You know I don't speak Russian. I have no idea what this is?" she said.

"They're prophylactics Roza." I explained with a slight grimace.

She stared blankly at me.

"CONDOMS ROSE!! THEY'RE CONDOMS." I said loudly frustrated at having to explain this to her.

Her eyes widened. "Why would she give you condoms?"

I groaned. "Roza Roza Roza." I said.

**So now that you know what she gave him what are your thoughts? I'm dying to hear them so please review!!! **


	26. Chapter 26: Condoms?

**Chapter 26 Expect the Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. If I did I wouldn't be working for peanuts!! **

**Here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! **

**RPOV**

"THEY"RE CONDOMS ROSE!" he all but screamed at me.

Why would she give him those? We couldn't have babies together we're both Dhampirs. Was he stupid? I mean seriously even I knew that biology lesson and I didn't ever pay attention in class.

"Why would she give you condoms?" I asked dumbly.

He groaned and shook his head muttering my name a few times.

Her words came back to me. "The gift you will give him will challenge everything this world has ever known."

What would challenge everything this world has ever known and then it came to me.

Two Dhampirs conceiving a child with each other would definitely be unbelievable.

I gasped. "Oh my God! Dimitri? I …'"

I couldn't find the words. I looked at him. "We can't. I can't. How? What?"

The shock was beginning to set in.

We'd already been together twice without protection.

"What if…." I began to panic.

"Roza you're shaking. What's the matter?" he asked worried.

I felt the world closing in around me.

_Rose Rose are you okay? _called Lissa through the bond.

_Why are you panicking? Is something wrong? _she asked. I could feel her anxiety in addition to my own.

_Everything is fine._ I responded back doing my best to shut her out for now.

By this time Dimitri was shaking me.

"I'm fine." I said curtly. He didn't take his eyes off of me though or his hands. I was suddenly uncomfortable in such close proximity to him. I felt like I was being smothered with a feather pillow.

I wriggled out of his grip and jumped off the bed. I walked swiftly into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I leaned my back against the door and took a deep cleansing breath. I didn't know what to think about what he had just told me.

The fact of the matter is that I never thought about having children. Not with him, not with anyone. Of course not with him because that is supposed to be genetically impossible. Damn stupid spirit coming back to bite me in the ass.

"Roza. Please let me in." he said I could hear him trying the doorknob and finding it locked.

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. The possibility that I could be pregnant with Dimitri's child right now scared me to death.

This was crazy. I couldn't have a baby plain and simple. I was going to be a guardian. My life was dangerous. There wasn't room for a child. I didn't want to be like my mother and abandon my child, but I didn't want to give up being Lissa's guardian either. I didn't even notice that tears were falling down my cheeks.

God could my life be any more complicated? I thought wiping tears away with my sleeve.

This could possibly be the biggest miracle ever to happen to any Dhampir and I felt like such a jerk for not feeling happy. I also realized how hurtful I was being to Dimitri by shutting him out.

I was acting childish and I knew it. For the first time I really felt the age difference between us. He would make a wonderful father right now. He would be ready. He was responsible and knew how to set boundaries. I would make an awful mother. I was impulsive. I was irresponsible and I had uncontrollable fits of madness from Lissa's spirit use. Gah! This kid is screwed. Maybe he was too old for me and my mother was right? I instantly felt bad for doubting our relationship. I wanted to be with him more than anything. I had to grow up and stop acting like this. I needed to change my lifestyle anyways because in less than three months I would be responsible for Lissa's life or death.

As I contemplated the repercussions of our actions I tried to rationalize. We'd only been together twice. If it had happened after the first time sadly I was sure there was no way a baby would have survived what I went through physically with the Strigoi so that left just the last time. I tried to recall my last menstrual cycle, but it wasn't very regular because I trained so hard and was always getting injured. I also admit I didn't much keep track of it because I'd never had reason to.

It was quiet outside the door. Either Dimitri had left or he had given up on getting me to come out. I stood and went to the sink. I drank some water and then splashed some on my tear stained face. I looked like shit. I took a deep breath and tried to act like nothing had happened. Yeah right I thought as I opened the door and walked slowly into my bedroom.

**DPOV**

Well that didn't go well. I thought as I stood outside the door to Rose's bathroom. I hadn't meant to yell at her. I was just so frustrated. When she'd finally realized the implications of what my grandmother had said she paled and fear was apparent in her eyes.

I can't say it was a surprise that she would be afraid, but I didn't imagine that she would freak out and lock herself in the bathroom.

She was young and I realized that having a baby right now would change her life much more than it would change mine. Of course even though now was not a good time I would be overcome with joy if she was carrying my child. Nothing would make me happier. The timing was bad, but even still I couldn't help but feel a little excitement rush through me when I imagined my Roza, her belly swollen with my child inside her. As I let myself imagine her sitting in a rocking chair nursing our child I told myself to snap out of it.

We didn't know anything for sure and Babushka was right, she was far too young for all of this. She was dead set on becoming the Princess's guardian and this would only complicate things.

I had a feeling that things were going to be alright. It was only this last time we were together I was worried about and with all the stress her body had been through it was highly unlikely that she had conceived. I stopped pounding on the door and sat quietly on the edge of her bed.

I wondered which one of her parent's would have me killed first? My bet was on Abe.

I heard water running now and after a minute the door to the bathroom opened and she came out. She'd obviously been crying.

"Hey Comrade." She said trying to sound normal, but her voice wavered slightly.

"I'm sorry." She said biting her bottom lip and looking up at me with those soulful brown eyes I loved so much.

"Come here Roza." I said opening my arms for her.

She came to me and I enveloped her in my arms.

"Don't worry my love. Everything will be just fine. I will take care of you. I love you so much. " I whispered.

She relaxed from her stiff posture into my arms and I just held her.

After that we spent a few hours voicing our concerns and fears and after I felt our relationship was stronger. She knew I loved her and that I'd never leave her and that is all that matters.

We decided to take a step back and wait until we knew anything for sure before making any decisions. The only thing we agreed on was to go light on Rose's combat training until we knew for sure. She could still do cardio and practice her staking, but we wouldn't spar.

We also agreed not to share this information with anyone yet. We weren't even sure if what Babushka had said was true.

**So do you think their age difference and maturity levels are going to cause some turbulence in their relationship?? **

**Also, is Dimitri really that much more mature than Rose? We shall find out. Keep Reading and please review or I'll have to get Adrian to compulse you into reviewing! A SPECIAL TREAT WILL BE GIVEN TO MY 200th REVIEWER!!! I HOPE IT'S YOU!**


	27. Chapter 27: Buria

**Chapter 27: Buria**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. If I did Adrian and Dimitri would get rid of Rose and come hang out with me =) **

**Uh oh trouble in Paradise??? **

RPOV

Things started returning to normal after the night Dimitri and I talked everything out. Okay well not everything. I still hadn't told him about the blood. I knew I'd have to tell him eventually, but I didn't want to see the look of disgust and disappointment on his face when I did. He was being really uptight lately.

He'd been quite concerned that I wanted to have a relationship with Abe Mazur. He still thought he was dangerous, but I told him I'd take it slow, but he was my father and I wanted a chance to get to know him without other people putting bias in my head. He didn't fight me on it, but I could feel the tension in the air whenever I mentioned his name.  
I'd spoken to Abe on the phone twice since I returned. Once he called to be assured that we'd all made it back to the Academy and the other to wish me an early Happy Birthday and to tell me he was coming to visit shortly before graduation which was still about two and a half months away.

This weekend was my birthday and I could tell that Lissa had something planned. I couldn't tell what because she was blocking me out, but her excitement level was through the roof. I couldn't wait. I was finally going to be 18. There were still a few weights hanging over my head right now, but all in all I didn't feel too bad. Per Lissa's request I hadn't told anyone about the bond being two ways yet. And to tell the truth it was a lot of fun to have silent conversations with her all day without anyone else knowing. Although I think Adrian had an idea because he always seemed to be studying our Aura's when we had our private conversations.

Classes had started back up again and everything was coming along. In a few weeks the novices would take our trials and I was looking forward to that last step before graduation.  
I was still nervous that Queen Bitch would interfere and I wouldn't be named Lissa's guardian, but I tried to push that out of my mind.

It was Thursday afternoon and I was as usual running late for my afternoon practice with Dimitri. We'd been keeping my training light and we had decided not to be intimate with each other until things were figured out. Which I have to say is pure torture.

I dropped my gym bag on the floor and started my stretches. Dimitri wasn't anywhere to be found which was unusual for him to be late for anything.

I continued my stretches and then headed out to the track and started my laps. I put on my I-POD and cranked up Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, my current favorite song. I was so glad Lissa had wanted to buy me something last Christmas even though I insisted I didn't want her to. This I-POD had really come in handy during the countless laps Dimitri insisted I do every day.

When I was finished I saw him waiting for me by the gym doors. He didn't look happy. I jogged over to where he was standing.

"Hey Comrade. Who died?" I asked.

He looked confused.

"You look mad." I commented.

"Glad we're not sparring today."

He didn't say anything as we entered the gym.

He'd been quiet and moody lately. He seemed preoccupied. He had been trying to hide it from me, but I could see through his façade. I knew him too well for that.

I followed him through the doors and waited for instruction. Instead he sat down on a bench and motioned for me to sit beside him.

I was a little nervous. "How are you feeling?" he asked. I sighed. On average he asked me that twenty times a day. I knew he was concerned, but really.

"Same as the last twelve times you asked me that today." I replied sarcastically.

He didn't seem upset by my sarcasm. "How are you feeling?" I asked him.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm fine." He replied his lips in a tight line.

"Okay then how about you give me my stake so I can practice." I said holding out my hand expectantly.

"We are not having practice today." He replied grimly.

I was shocked. "Why?" I asked confusion coloring my face.

"I have to go on a short trip." He said reluctantly.

"Okay why with the cryptic?" I asked. "Where are you going?"

"To court." He responded.

"For what?"

"Just a debriefing of the attack and the subsequent events." He said smoothly.

I felt that he was lying to me.

"So what's the big deal if that's all it is?" I asked hoping to crack him.

"I don't want to leave you alone." He admitted sighing heavily.

I had been in a good mood and suddenly I felt angry. Much angrier than I should have. He'd been very overprotective lately and it was really bothering me, but the rage I felt right now was defninately amped up.

I jumped up off the bench angrily. "You can't babysit me twenty-four hours a day Comrade! I'm not a six year old. I know how to take care of myself." I seethed.

He'd been hovering over me at every turn since we got back from Russia. I knew he was concerned about my well being and whether or not I was pregnant and a hundred other things, but this was too much. I'd tried to be calm about it until now that is. Lissa must have used spirit recently because I could feel the darkness building up inside me. Something just snapped and I went off on him.

."If this is what you're going to be like then I hope to God I never let you get me pregnant." I all but growled at him. "I'm not going to sit here and have you hover over me all day and all night because you think what that I'm such an immature moron I can't walk by myself?" By the time I was finished ranting at him I was breathing heavily and I felt wildly out of control.

I could see the hurt in his eyes and the worry.

I grabbed my gym bag and sprinted for the door. He didn't need to see anymore of this.

As I knew he would he beat me to the door and blocked my exit.

"Roza I'm not implying that you cannot take care of yourself it's just that you've been through so much and I want to take care of you." He said assessing my reaction.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me. In a few weeks I'm going to be a guardian. It is my job to protect others no one needs to protect me. Got that???" I yelled.

He took in my appearance wild eyes, my fists we clenched at my sides and they were shaking with anger. He recognized the signs of the darkness right away.

"Roza." He said. "Calm down. It's the darkness." He said trying to appease me.

He brought his hands up slowly and put them on my shoulders. He looked deep into my eyes.

"Look at me." He commanded roughly.

"This isn't you. Let it go." He said evenly.

Everything in me said to fight him.

"Roza please. I don't want to hurt you." He said softly.

I looked into his eyes and behind the worry I saw the love and tenderness that always made me feel safe. The darkness started to fade and my breathing and heart rate began to return to normal.

I swayed slightly catching him off guard.

He pulled me close to him and I rested my head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to treat you like a child." He breathed.

"I just worry about you so much. I always have. I was just better at not showing it before." He said with a slight laugh.

"I know and I'm sorry too. I need to go find Lissa." I said still a little shaky. I really was sorry for my outburst, but not for what I said. There was a lot of truth behind my words. I couldn't deal with that now though.

"When do you leave for Court?" I asked.

"In about an hour." He said running his hand through his long hair.

Damn the Queen because of her he wouldn't be here on my Birthday which was Saturday

"I love you Roza." He said kissing me tenderly on the lips.

"And I love you." I replied kissing him back. As usual he pulled away too soon.

"Promise you won't do anything reckless while I'm gone?" he asked.

"Me reckless? I don't know what you're talking about Comrade." I joked trying to lighten the mood.

He raised his eyebrows at me. Damn how the hell does he do that?

"I know I'll be good." I promised. "Besides I doubt Guardian Hathaway will allow me to get into too much trouble." I said trying to assure him that I'd be in good hands. My mother was staying on campus and taking extra shifts to make up for the lack of guardians after the attack.

He kissed me one last time and then hurried off to catch his plane.

I felt bad, but it was almost a relief that he wouldn't be here for a few days. As much as I know he was doing it because he cared, his constant hovering was starting to get on my last nerve.

**Do you think the fighting is over or that it's just begun??? Read on to find out. Still haven't hit that 200****th**** Review! **


	28. Chapter 28:Secrets & Spirit

**Chapter 28: Spirit Practice & Spilling the Beans**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy I only wish I did. **

**Shout out to Dusky Girl my 200th reviewer. I hope you liked your early update!! Shout out to Kim & as to where I got the idea for this story? Well it was kind of a mixture of me being ticked off that Dimitri was turned Strigoi and me wanting to make a better end. I still wanted Rose to go to Russia to meet the Belikovs and I wanted her to meet Abe because I like him. I also wanted to add some cool stuff to the bond because it frustrates me that it hasn't grown since the beginning. Keep reading to find out just how much it will grow!!! **

**Enjoy!! Remember all Italics take place silently.**

**RPOV**

I headed off towards the library where I knew Lissa was studying or so she liked to call it with Sparky.

I found them in the way back making nice as usual. I stood there a minute and then cleared my throat loudly. They broke apart guiltily.

"_Sorry."_ Lissa apologized through the bond.

"That's okay." I sent back. "I'm used to it."

"Hey Chris can you leave us alone for a few minutes." She asked sweetly.

"Sure, catch you guys for dinner in a while?" he responded.

Lissa and I had been practicing blocking each other out and sending messages through the bond. I could still feel her emotions and get her messages much easier than she could read me. If I projected enough I could speak to her easily, but she didn't feel my emotions as strongly although I think that would come with time. We practiced her slipping in and out of my head. She was almost to the point where she could enter at will, but getting out was another thing. She usually found herself stuck until the strong emotion was over.

I on the other hand had plenty of practice blocking her and Sparky out. I tried showing her, but it she got frustrated rather easily. I don't know how Adrian puts up with her while they're practicing spirit.

We were sitting in one of the student lounges no one was around.

"Try to slip into my mind." I told her.

She closed her eyes and concentrated deeply.

"_Are you with me?" _I asked silently.

"_Yes. I'm here."_ She answered.

"_Okay now try to pull yourself out. Concentrate on your body. Think about where you really are and focus on getting back there." _I said coaching her.

It took a few minutes but she was able to pull herself out.

"See that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Sure because you're sitting right here with me and you're not in bed with Dimitri." She said rolling her eyes.

"It's not so easy when I get sucked in unintentionally." She groaned. "How did you manage it for so long?"

I shrugged. "It's not fun."

"Hey I haven't been sucked in recently is everything okay between you two? I mean I thought now that you didn't have to hide things too much anymore that you'd go at it like rabbits." She said with a blush.

I sighed as I thought about what had transpired between us in the gym just over an hour ago. I know I told Dimitri I wouldn't tell anyone, but I hated keeping things from Lissa. I'd promised her no more secrets after she found out about me and Dimitri.

"Things have been a little strained." I admitted.

I could feel her compassion. "What's going on?" she asked.

I didn't know if I should tell her, but I really really wanted to. I needed a girl to talk to about this and it's not like I could go to my mother. She would freak out and kill one or both of us. Lissa was my family. I needed to vent a little. He was driving me insane.

"Okay please don't tell anyone. I promised Dimitri I wouldn't say anything until we knew for sure, but I can't take the pressure anymore." I said hurriedly.

"You know you can trust me." She said softly. "I wouldn't tell. Not even Christian. Cross my heart." She said with a smile.

"Okay, but let's talk privately." I said winking a little. She understood.

**Author's Note: (All Italics are when they are speaking privately through the bond)**

_So I guess while we were in Baia Dimitri's grandmother who is sort of a witch or a psycic of sorts told him that because I am shadow kissed and I've been healed by Spirit that it's possible for he and I to have children together._

_Oh my God Rose! Seriously? That's the best news ever. I was worried that you two would eventually decide not to be together for that fact. _

She was so excited she was about to burst. I only wish I felt that way about the whole situation.

_Well actually I never really thought about being a mother. I'm going to be your guardian it's not like I'll have time for that anyways. I don't want to do to a child what my mother did to me._

I could feel her disappointment almost immediately.

_Don't say that Rose. I want you to have a full life. A husband, children, vacations everything I have I want for you. You're my sister and I won't accept anything less for you. Just because you are going to be my Guardian does not mean I expect you to give all of that up. I told you before I love you and want you to be happy._

_Thanks Liss._

_Wait so what does that have to do with your relationship being strained right now. I thought that would be good news? Doesn't he want children someday?_

_It is good news I guess in the long run and yes he does, but… _I trailed off. I didn't know how to say this.

_But what? _

_We haven't been safe because we didn't know it was a possibility and now we are waiting to see if I am pregnant. _I blurted out.

She gasped.

_Oh My God! _She squealed jumping up and hugging me tightly.

_That is so exciting. Are you nervous? Do you want to be? Is he okay with that? Are you getting married? Are you happy? _

She kept firing questions at me in my head so fast she was practically hyperventilating.

_Liss calm down. I don't know how I feel. I'm really nervous and scared. I'm way too young to be a mother. We didn't even know this was possible or we would have been careful. No we are not getting married. Is that even legal? He said everything will be okay and that he'll take care of me, but we both agree that it isn't the right time for this. If I were it would totally wreck my chances of being your guardian. I wouldn't be able to take my trials and I'm pretty sure that either Janine or Abe would kill Dimitri on sight if they find out. _

_I guess that's true. _She responded calming down a little.

_Besides he's been driving me insane ever since we got back from Russia. He follows me everywhere. It's like he thinks I'll do something wrong or stupid or whatever. He doesn't trust me. He says he does, but he treats me like a child. I want to be his equal and I'm afraid that he won't be able to see me as anything other than his student. We had a big fight in the gym about an hour ago and I don't know where we left things. I mean we're not even sure if I'm pregnant and we're already fighting. What if I am? _I asked trying to hold back tears.

_Oh Rose. I'm so sorry. I think he's just worried. You are younger than him and he's probably scared that you'll freak out or something. Give him a chance. How soon will you know if you are or not?_

_I don't know. I thought about taking a test, but I'm too scared to find out. It's only been a little over a week anyways so it's too soon to tell._

_Well maybe you'll get your period._

_True. I really hope so. I'm not even sure when it should come. Everything has been so screwed up with my body since the attack. _

_Well think positively. If you are we will all be supportive and it doesn't mean you can't be assigned as my guardian. Remember Adrian and I are a force to be reckoned with and we always get what we want. Everything will work out. Whatever happens you'll have all the love and support we can give you okay? And Don't worry about Dimitri. Talk to him tell him how you feel and do it when you are more calm. She said. _

_What do you?? Oh you were there? _I realized that I was so upset she probably got sucked into our fight.

She blushed

_I was only there for a few seconds. I didn't even catch what you were yelling about. I just saw the look of hurt in his eyes at whatever you said. What I really felt was your anger and guilt. _She said.

I nodded at her. _We should get to the cafeteria it's dinner time._

_Remember what I said. We'll be here for you no matter what. _She reiterated.

_Thanks Liss! I really needed to hear that. _

We embraced tightly and there were a few tears sliding down my cheeks. To an outside observer it must have looked like I burst out crying out of nowhere since no one would have been able to have heard our talk.

"Isn't it amazing what spirit can do?" she asked as we walked towards the cafeteria.

"Yeah it is." I said remembering my conversation with Adrian. For the first time I truly believed that everything would be okay.

**Aww doesn't everyone wish they had Lissa and Adrian for friends??? So let's take a vote. Who wants Rose to have a baby? Who doesn't? Please give your response in your review. Not saying I will follow the majority, but there's always the possibility. **

**As always Please Review! I'm a review whore! Hey better than a bloodwhore right???**


	29. Chapter 29: She Likes Me for Me

**Chapter 29: She Likes me for me**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its Characters. **

**Thanks for reviewing. Most people said that Rose should not have a baby. I have already written the next 8 or so chapters and I am not changing my story line so you'll just have to wait to find out who's side I am on =) Aren't I just as evil as a Strigoi? Haha! Keep reading. Here's some more Adrian for all of you Adrian fans out there. This chapter is named after one of my favorite songs. "She likes me for me." That song was way back in my high school days I think it is on the Now That's What I call Music #3 CD and they are on like #30 now haha! I am so old. Enjoy! **

**In answer to a question that was asked by a reader who does not have private messaging enabled. I think most people don't like it when people tell them they cannot reproduce. Whether or not they want children it is never fun to know that you can't. I think that is why there are so many stories in which Rose and Dimitri are able to procreate. Also the life of a Dhampir is short and violent. So age 18 is probably near middle age or even over that for most Guardian's. Also remember this is fiction. I don't have children, but if someone told me that I couldn't I would be very upset. Hope that answers your question. **

RPOV

Friday was uneventful. I didn't have training because Dimitri was still at Court, class was dull as usual. Lissa and I talked through the bond all day and I only got in trouble once in Stan's class. He wasn't as mean to me as he used to be after I helped save his ass a few times.

After classes were finished I decided to go back to my room and relax a little bit. I usually didn't have much time to myself between classes, my extra training sessions and practicing my new ability with Lissa. I was actually feeling pretty crappy. My back was killing me, I was so tired, I felt kind of sweaty and my stomach hurt.

I definitely needed to lie down. I went and lay down in my bed and drifted off to sleep.

I found myself at the Ski Lodge where I first met Adrian.

"Hey there Little Dhampir. Why are you asleep in the middle of the afternoon? I thought only drunks like me did stuff like that?" he said with a goofy grin coming and sitting down on the porch next to me.

There was snow covering everything and it was truly beautiful to watch as the flakes fell slowly and gracefully from the sky.

"I don't feel very well." I admitted. "That is why I am asleep."

"Sorry to hear that Little Dhampir. Want me to rub your shoulders?"

I would usually have said no, but I felt like crap and it would be nice to get a massage. I nodded yes and turned slightly so he could rub my shoulders.

I was surprised that he was quite a good masseur. He probably had a lot of experience with his previous hoe train. I laughed silently at the thought.

At least had had dressed me appropriately this time. I was wearing a black sweater and skinny jeans with really cute furry boots. He'd also thought to give me mittens, a scarf and a cute little beret to keep me warm.

"So where's your boyfriend? I haven't seen him around lately." He asked.

"He was called to Court for a debriefing on the attack." I said. I nearly laughed at Adrian referring to Dimitri as my boyfriend.

"Hmm I don't think so." He replied.

I turned and looked at him. " I would know if he had been called to Court. He wasn't summoned."

"He lied to me?" I asked.

"Seems like it."

"Do you know where he went?" I asked. Adrian always seemed to know everything around here. It was like he was the resident gossip or something.

" Yup He's at Court." He responded.

"Adrian you just said he wasn't at Court." I said annoyed that he was playing with me.

" I didn't say he wasn't at Court. I said he wasn't summoned to Court." He said with an evil grin.

" What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means he went there on some personal business. I don't know what it is though." He said.

"I see." I was a little mad that he had lied to me, but he must have a good reason. I mean it's not like I tell him everything either. Why would he go to Court though. Was something wrong? I hoped not. We'd been through enough drama for one lifetime in the past few months. I don't think I could handle anything more.

"So it's been like over a week and you haven't tried to hit on me. Should I feel offended?" I joked changing the subject. It really was odd though. He'd dressed me appropriately , he hadn't made any lude comments about getting me into bed and he hadn't tried to put his hands anywhere inappropriate just now while he was rubbing my shoulders. I was a little offended. Maybe I was losing my charm.

"I just want to respect you." He said honestly.

I nearly fell off the porch swing as I doubled over in hysterics.

"Who are you and what have you done with Adrian Ivashkov?" I asked playfully punching him on the shoulder when I'd recovered from my laughing fit. I truly was a little concerned.

He laughed. "Okay I'll tell you, but if you tell Belikov I'm not speaking to you again."

"Oh that's a punishment." I said rolling my eyes.

"Hey now be nice or I won't tell you." He pouted.

"Okay Okay. Tell me."

"I've met someone." He said softly.

My eyebrows shot up. "Really? Who?" I asked

"Well when we were in Baia. I got to talking with one of Dimitri's sisters. Viktoria and we've been e-mailing and texting since."

"Oh my God, isn't she sixteen? Dimitri is soooo going to kill you." I gasped.

"She's only five years younger than me and he is seven years older than you. What right does he have? I really feel like there could be something between us." He said seriously.

"Wow. I know you're right about it being hypocritical, but good luck getting him to see it that way. I mean she is his little sister and all. Hey what is it with you and Dhampirs? Don't you ever hit on Moroi women?" I asked.

"What can I say. I prefer a more developed figure." He said with a smirk.

"Eew Adrian just when I am starting to think you aren't always a pig."

"I'm just kidding Rose. It's just that all the Moroi women are interested in is my Royal status and my bank account. They don't actually like me for me." He said sadly.

"I never thought of that. Is that why you were after me? Because I liked you for you?" I asked. Suddenly I felt like I'd misunderstood Adrian all along. I actually felt a little sorry for him. I never thought about what it was like to be Royal and have money and to not know who your true friends are. I mean Christian really isn't into being that royal and Lissa has always acted like a Princess, but she also sees people for who they are not for what they are.

"That was a major part of it." He answered. " I mean even though I knew you weren't in love with me you treated me like a person, not like a royal. I was your friend. You weren't afraid to disagree with me, you fought with me, you treated me like an equal or a dog sometimes." He said with a slight laugh. "I hate when people bow down to me and agree with everything I say and do. It's degrading and you can never really tell what they are really like because they're too busy trying to be what they think I want. You were always real with me. You didn't take my crap. With you I knew you would never be with someone for their money or status. Things like that aren't important to you. Not to mention you're dead sexy!." He said wiggling his eyebrows at me.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Who knew that Adrian could be so deep?

"Do you really like her like her and you don't just want to get her in the sack?"

"Yes, I really like her. She reminds me of you." He said with a blush.

"I guess that's a compliment."

"So you'll help keep the Russian from murdering me?" he asked.

"I'll do my best." I really wanted him to be happy so I meant what I said when I agreed to help with Dimitri. I don't know how effective I'd be, but I would do my best.

"You're starting to wake up Little Dhampir. I hope you feel better. See you at dinner I have a surprise for you."

"Okay."

The dream faded and I woke up.

I realized I'd been asleep for two hours and I'd almost slept through dinner.

I was still feeling crappy. I nearly doubled over from the cramping in my abdomen. I popped a few aspirin and went into the bathroom to change my clothes and as I stripped off my panties I realized I was bleeding.

"Oh my God." I cried.

**I'd say I'm sorry about the cliff hanger, but I'm not! You'll have to wait and review to find out what happens. **


	30. Chapter 30: The Visitor & Shopping Trip

**Chapter 30 The Visitor, Shopping & Party Decorations**

**Well here's the answer to the question we've all been waiting for baby or no baby??? I hope you're not upset by my decision. It was decided before the story began. Enjoy! **

I was still feeling crappy. I nearly doubled over from the cramping in my abdomen. I popped a few aspirin and went into the bathroom to change my clothes and as I stripped off my panties I realized I was bleeding.

"Oh my God." I cried.

I had gotten my period. I started to cry. I felt just terrible for being so happy that I wasn't carrying Dimitri's child, but I couldn't help it I was so relieved. Even though I was relieved I felt like I'd lost something. It was stupid really, but this made me realize that someday when I was older I wanted to have his baby. I smiled at the thought.

_Rose are you okay? _ I heard Lissa in my head. She must have felt my emotional break down.

_Yeah I'm more than okay. I'll meet you in the cafeteria in ten. _

I brushed my hair and tied it up in a messy bun, brushed my teeth, pulled on some jeans and a black hoodie and skipped happily to meet the gang in the cafeteria.

Dinner was already half over, but when I got there Lissa had been kind enough to grab me some pasta and a coke.

"Hey thanks." I said sitting between Lissa and Eddie.

"_You seem different." _She said_. "What happened?" _

_I got my monthly visiter! _ I exclaimed.

She jumped out of her seat and hugged me tightly.  
_I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that from you. _ She said with a laugh.

I didn't notice, but Adrian had joined us and he had a somewhat amused expression on his face.

"You know. I can see what you're doing?" he said cheekily.

"What do you mean see?"

"You're Aura's light up when you are talking like that." He explained.

"I can see it from all the way across the room."

Lissa and I both looked at each other.

_Should we tell him? _I asked.

It was up to her. I didn't really mind him knowing or Christian or Eddie for that matter. I didn't really want to tell Dimitri. Is that weird that I didn't want him to know? Mostly I didn't want him to know that when we were intimate there was a possibility of Lissa being with us. That might make him not want to be with me. He didn't really seem like the type to engage in a threesome, however involuntary it might be.

"Sure why not?" she said. "They were going to find out eventually."

"Find out what?" asked Christian curiously.

"The bond has grown." I said. Everyone looked confused.

"You know how I get sucked into Lissa's head and I can feel her emotions and she can send me thoughts and messages?" I asked

They all nodded.

"Well now the same happens to her. She can feel me and she's been sucked into my head and I can send her messages as well." I explained.

They looked shocked well that is all but Adrian. He was very insightful and rarely surprised . He was like a lie detector because of the way he perceived auras.

"I thought as much. I saw the exchange you had in the Belikov's kitchen." He admitted.

"Wait when you say you get sucked into Rose's head when exactly did that happen?" asked Christian suspiciously.

Lissa turned completely red and couldn't look him in the eye.

"Well uh I'm uh… Do you remember the bad dream I had last week in Russia?" she asked sheepishly.

"Yes." He said.

"Well it wasn't so much a dream as it was I got sucked into Rose's head while she and Dimitri were making love." She said still blushing profusely.

" What?" yelled Christian angrily. "You had sex with Belikov?" he screamed at Lissa.

"Hey Hey careful Sparky we're in a public place." I said pointing to the stares he was getting from some of the other students. Lissa looked like she was going to die of embarrassment.

Adrian was laughing hysterically and Eddie was just staring at us with wide eyes.

"Shut it Ivashkov." I snapped punching his arm.

"I didn't mean to." She said softly her eyes pleading with Christian to calm down. I could feel how upset she was. She thought he'd be angry with her and consider it cheating. If only he knew how many times I had been involved in their sexcapades.

"She's right she can't control it so relax. She still loves you to death." I said trying to get him to see reason.

"I guess." He said. "But I don't like it."

"What's the matter Sparky? Afraid she'll see what being with a real man is like?" I teased.

"Shut up Rose!" Cried Lissa. _You're making him angrier._

His fists were clenched at his sides and there was a murderous look on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked her.

" I didn't want you to overeact." She replied. "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't get sucked into her head at inopportune times, but really this is good for us. We will be much stronger if we can both read each other. Now that she can send messages to me and I can feel her we'll never have to worry about where the other is again like we did last week." She said happily.

"I guess you're right." He agreed reluctantly.

"Don't worry I don't want her there anymore than I want to be there when you two are making nice." I said. "I've been trying to teach her to put walls up like I do, but it will take time."

Eddie who had been quiet through the whole exchange busted out laughing out of nowhere.

We all turned and glared at him. "What's so funny Castile?" I asked.

"It's just that of all people to be having a threesome with a Guardian no less I would never imagine it would be Lissa." He was cracking up. Then a strange look crossed his face.

"Wait if you said you were in Rose's head when this happened then she was sleeping with… Oh my God Rose You and Belikov?" he gasped.

"Shhh Eddie. It's supposed to be a secret." I put my hand over his mouth. "And duh where the hell have you been?" I asked.

"Uh apparently not invited on your little trip to Russia." He said sarcastically. "It was so nice of you all to disappear without a trace for almost a week and leave me here. I thought Rose was dead and I had no idea what happened to the rest of you." He said sounding a little bitter.

"Oh yea." I'd forgotten he didn't know a lot of what had happened.

" Sorry about that, but you were in the infirmary when they left. We'll fill you in on everything later." I told him.

He nodded and went back to eating.

"So Adrian you said you had a surprise for me what is it?" I asked hoping it wasn't embarrassing.

"Well you're eighteen tomorrow right?" he asked.

"Yep." I smiled.

"Well since it's your birthday and all and you will be of age I asked Kirova if you and I could leave the Academy for the day and go shopping." He said with a grin.

"What and I can't come?" cried Lissa.

"Sorry love, you'd need a slew of guardians and this is supposed to be about freedom." He replied.

"They really are okay with it?" I asked suspiciously. "You didn't use compulsion?"

"I didn't have to. You are free to do as you please once you are eighteen because you are a Dhampir and well trained to be a Guardian and well you know I always do what I want and I never take Guardians with me so it's all set. I have a car coming around 9am. Do you want to go?"

I thought about it. A whole day away from the Academy. A whole day alone with Adrian. Three hours there and back in the car with Adrian. Shopping without Guardians. I was weighing my options. Dimitri would freak out if he knew, but then again he wasn't here to object and I may never get another chance at freedom once he returned.

"I'm in." I said with a mischievous grin.

"All right." Cried Adrian hugging me tightly.

_Dimitri isn't going to like this Rose. _Warned LIssa.

_Who cares I'm eighteen tomorrow and he has to start respecting that in a few short weeks I will be a Guardian just like him._

_Be careful and stay in touch. _She said.

_I will don't worry so much Mom! _

She laughed out loud.

Adrian just shook his head.

"Well I gotta go get some sleep if I'm going to be up all night." I said.

LPOV

Finally. I thought Adrian was never going to get her out of here. I was trying to plan a surprise party for Saturday night for her birthday and with her being able to read me so well it was hard to hide things from her. I needed her distracted so Adrian agreed to take her shopping so I could get things ready.

I wondered when Dimitri would be returning from Court. I knew she'd want him to be at her party, but so far I hadn't heard that he was back. Maybe that was a good thing. I didn't want them to fight. I knew he'd have a fit that she'd left the wards without Guardians and even worse that she left with Adrian of all people. Even though she and I knew she wasn't pregnant he didn't. And I wasn't even supposed to know about it so it's not like I could tell him. I wouldn't anyways, but still. Even so he'd freak out anyway. He really was a little overprotective of her especially after the kidnapping. Who could blame him? I knew it was upsetting Rose though.

I knew that the age difference was getting to her a little. It's probably hard for him to think of her as a responsible adult when she is still technically his student. Also it's not like she acts responsible all the time. I know she can take care of herself, but it doesn't stop me from worrying, but now it was better because I could always slip into her mind and see that she was okay. He didn't have the luxury of doing that. I felt sorry for him. He was such a great guy and dealing with Rose wasn't always easy. I love her to death, but she can be a handful at times.

Anyways the party was going to be held in guest housing in Adrian's suite. I'd had to use a little compulsion on Kirova to get her to allow it. As a surprise we had Mia fly in from court. Eddie was meeting her at the landing strip as we speak. Maybe she knew when Dimitri would be returning. Even Guardian Hathaway had agreed to bring Rose there and stop by the party for a little bit. I knew that she and Rose still had things to work out, but this would be a step in the right direction I hoped.

Christian and I had the keys to Adrian's room and we were setting up the decorations and figuring out how to set up Adrian's expensive sounds system. He never used it before since he spent the majority of his time drunk off his ass.

We didn't have any problem getting liquor. Adrian had multiple bottles of every kind of liquor known to man lined up behind his wet bar. He'd made a few calls and was going to have Chinese food delivered for dinner. That is Rose's favorite kind of food. She was going to love it.

"Hey Christian did you remember to burn those mixes that I asked for?" I called to him in the other room.

"Yea I have them all right here." He replied. He was still trying to hook up all of the speakers. It looked complicated so I stayed out of it and focused on the decorations. I'd picked hot pink and black for the colors. Everything looked so nice. The helium balloons were being delivered shortly before the party. Adrian was in charge of making Rose buy a nice dress to wear.

The guest list was small. Just Rose, Adrian, Me, Christian, Eddie, Mia, Janine and Dimitri if he came back on time. I hoped he would. Although he'd be mad about the drinking. Eh he'd get over it. Rose had him wrapped around her pinky.

We finished getting things together and I was so dead tired that is until I felt Christian's soft breath on my neck. I moaned as his hands roamed from my shoulders down to my hips while he softly kissed my neck.

"Chris, we are in Adrian's apartment." I groaned.

"So it's not like this couch hasn't seen plenty of action." He said with a smirk.

He sat down on the couch and pulled me on top of him so I was straddling him. I was going to protest, but then he pressed his soft lips to mine and the rest of the world faded away as well as my resolve.

**Lissa and Christian in Adrian's apartment! I'll bet that couch has seen a lot in its day! Please Review or face the angry Russian that I'm sure is not going to like this whole shopping plan! **


	31. Chapter 31: Freedom at Last

**Chapter 31: Freedom at Last **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. **

**So a whole day of being alone with Adrian (a dream come true for some) and a nightmare for others!!! Which will it be for Rose? Enjoy! Also just to let you all know. I have finally come up with a Strigoi idea. Not sure if it's any good, but as I write I will surely find out. Shout outs to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! You guys are awesome. It thrills me to know people are reading. =)**

RPOV

I met Adrian at the car port at 9am sharp. I wasn't even late like usual. If only Dimitri were here to see it I thought wistfully. Even though I was annoyed with him I still missed him a lot. Adrian was already there waiting for me. I had to admit he looked kind of hot in his khacki pants and his lime green polo shirt. He was wearing a long coat despite the somewhat nice weather to shield his Moroi skin from the sun. He also wore dark sunglasses and a baseball hat that covered his tousled brown locks.

"See something you like Little Dhampir?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up Adrian." I rolled my eyes at his cocky attitude.

As the guardians opened the gate for me and I stepped outside the wards I could feel the ghosts swirling around me. I had to maintain control so they wouldn't overpower me. I had practiced putting up my blocks ever since that awful plane ride back from court after Victor's trial. I'd become very good at it and even more so recently with having been outside the wards for nearly a week.

Adrian was right. I felt free as a bird as we left the safety of the Academy and walked to the waiting black Porsche. I raised my eyebrows at the car. " Is that your car?" I asked in awe.

"One of them." He replied. He held out the keys to me.

"Wanna drive?" he asked with a big smile.

"What?" I asked.

"I said do you want to drive?"

"You'd let me drive your car?" I squeaked. "Sure why not? You do know how to drive don't you?" he asked.

"Yes." I said matter of factly. I'd never actually been given driving instruction, but when Lissa and I were on the run for two years I'd driven many times through many states.

"I don't actually have a license though." I admitted in defeat.

"Stupid Kirova wouldn't allow me to get one."

"You don't need one." He said sure of himself.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Happy Birthday." He replied handing me a card.

I looked at him curiously as I opened the card.

It read: Happy 18th Birthday Kizim! Sorry I cannot be there to celebrate with you. Here is something I thought every 18 year old girl would want. Use it with care and don't tell your mother it was I who gave it to you. See you very soon.

All my love,

Baba

I reached into the envelope and found a State of Montana drivers license with my picture, birth date and everything already on it. It looked really authentic.

"Woah!" I exclaimed. "Thank You ABE!!"

"I thought you'd be pleased." Said Adrian.

"Where did you get this?" I asked. The card had no stamp or postmark on it.

"He slipped it to me before we left Baia. He had it made while we were at the Belikov's."

"Wow it really pays to have a mobster for a father." I laughed.

We got into the car. It felt really good to be independent for once. I always had to rely on a Guardian to drive me somewhere and then there was worrying about Lissa and everything else.

Today was going to be fun I thought as we sped down the highway towards Missoula. Adrian even let me play the music I liked unlike Dimitri who played his dumb 80's crap. He even refrained from smoking while we were in the car. He's really turning out to be one of the best friends I've ever had.

The ride was pleasant enough. Adrian was actually quite interesting to talk to. He knew a lot about different things so he could talk about almost anything. Of course Viktoria was a hot topic of conversation. I listened halfheartedly as he chattered excitedly about how much he liked her and how he couldn't wait to visit her and how he hoped to get her to transferred to the Royal Court after she graduated from St. Basils. He rambled on for a while and I nodded at appropriate intervals. It was good to see him happy.

When we ran out of interesting conversation he started up a game of I spy. He was super fun. I can't for the life of me remember why I disliked him when I first met him.

When we arrived at the mall it was around noon.

"So where do you want to go first?" he asked me.

"I don't know where do you think we should go?" I didn't want him to get bored.

"It's your day Little Dhampir you lead the way."

Before we left the parking lot I was sure to check that my stake was holstered properly in its sheath. You never could be too careful. Strigoi attacks were unlikely in a mall during the day, but still I wanted to be prepared. Dimitri had made sure that Eddie and I had real stakes on us all the time since the attack.

We walked around for a while pointing out interesting people and funny looking outfits. I really wanted to get into the shopping mood, but my heart just wasn't in it. I was having fun and all, but I couldn't deny the part of me who wished I was here with Dimitri instead. I found myself wondering if we would even have anything resembling a normal date let alone a normal relationship. I highly doubted it.

Adrian I'm sure noticed my sullen mood, but was nice enough not to bring it up.

"I didn't get you a birthday present so I thought you'd like to pick out your own." He said as we walked into one of my favorite Boutiques. "Maybe a dress or something." He suggested.

"You don't have to do that Adrian." I said. "Seriously I don't need anything."

"Nonsense Little Dhampir it isn't about what you need it's about what you want. That is the point of a birthday present . Am I wrong?"

"I guess not." I agreed reluctantly. It wasn't the same shopping without Lissa either. Even if I was on duty and I couldn't try things on I would still rather her be here with me.

"So let's go make you try stuff on." He said pulling me into the middle of the store. Well I might as well take advantage of having time to actually shop while I've got it I thought as I allowed him to drag me into Christian Louboutin.

I grabbed a few cute dresses and some shoes I thought were nice and tried on a few things. After trying on numerous items I decided on a short satiny dress. It was dark pink on the top with two roses ( I know how cliche) and black on the bottom it had gathers and feel a few inches short of my knees. I brought the dress out of the dressing room and handed it to Adrian. (pic on profile)

"What do you think?" I asked.

"You'd look gorgeous in a potato sack." He said. "It's beautiful Rose."

"Yea it's pretty, but It isn't like I need a dress or anything right now. Maybe I can wear it for graduation or something." I said.

"Or somewhere fancy." He replied.

Uh oh! Something was up! I tried to slip into Lissa's head for a minute, but oh gross she was with Sparky and wait were they in Adrian's apartment??? There were decorations everywhere. Oh no! I knew she was up to something and Adrian was in on it.

"Okay I'll get it." I replied. "Oh well at least if they were planning a party I'd have something cute to wear." I wondered if I should tell Adrian that Lissa and Christian were getting it on on his livingroom couch. I snickered softly.

"What about shoes?" he asked.

"I have a pair of black ones that will go really well with it at home."

"Okay then let's go get food." He said. He paid for the dress and we walked down to the food court. He probably suggested getting food because he could hear my stomach growling from a mile away. I got two pieces of Sbarro's pizza. It was so good and I wolfed it down quickly. Adrian had a cheeseburger and picked at his fries.

"Hey if you're not going to finish those. I will." I joked.

He pushed his plate over to me. "What's mine is yours Little Dhampir."

"Thanks." I said reaching for the fries.

After we'd eaten Adrian said he needed to look in the video game store which I found really boring, but it was over quick. He said he didn't see anything new that he liked.

"Hey can we hit one more store?" I asked.

"Anywhere you want." He replied .

"Victoria's Secret." I responded.

A look came across his face and then was gone just as quickly as it had come. If I'm not mistaken he was about to make a crude comment about me in sexy lingere in his bed or something, but he didn't. Wow he's really changed. I thought.

"Lead the way." He said.

While I was in the store I could see Adrian texting like crazy. Probably to Viktoria. I thought with a smile. I was glad that he had found someone. He was a great guy and he truly deserved it.

After I bought some things I knew Dimitri would like to rip off of me we decided it was best to head home. It was a long day or should I say night because this was when I was supposed to be sleeping. I looked at the clock on the dash of the car it was almost 7pm nearly wake-up time for Vampires.

Adrian let me drive home as well. It felt good to have someone around that trusted me to do normal things like go shopping and driving for myself. I love Dimitri with all my heart and I really feel that he is my soul mate, but he needs to cut the apron strings and soon or I'll go crazy.

We stopped at a gas station when we were almost home so I could use the bathroom and Adrian could smoke. As I was exiting the ladies room I got sucked into Lissa's head. Oh man this was so not good! I thought as I watched what was happening through her eyes.

**Uh oh! What do you think Lissa is seeing? Guess right and I'll tell you! Review and Adrian will take you shopping with his Gold Card!! **


	32. Chapter 32: Ticking Russian Time Bomb

**Chapter 32: Ticking Russian Time Bomb**

**So here's the next chapter. I apologize for the links on my profile not working. I wrote that chapter a while ago and those links no longer function. I could not find a photo that would do it justice . Sorry about that. Here is the next chapter. Dimitri is finally back. Here's a little explanation about why he went to Court. He didn't tell Rose because he didn't know if he could work it out and he didn't want to get her hopes up. Enjoy! **

**DPOV**

I was sitting on a plane ready to return to the Academy. I'd spent the last two days meeting with some of my fellow Guardians trying to figure a way to be with Rose after she graduated.

After nearly a day and a half of no progress an idea was suggested to me by one of my colleagues. It was in my opinion the best solution to the problem. I felt that everyone would benefit from the situation. After an impromptu audience with the Queen in which she agreed to the switch as a political move I was finally on my way home. I felt as if I was gone for months instead of days.

The flight was long. My mind kept drifting to Rose. She'd been so angry with me before I left. I knew I was treating her unfairly and I wanted to stop, but sometimes I let my paranoia get the better of me. It wasn't about being in control of her. As much as she thinks I don't think of her as a Guardian I truly do, it's just that when I thought I lost her I went a little bit mad and the thought of being separated from her in any way shape or form ever again made me crazy. I knew that it was inevitable that we'd be apart from time to time, but actually living through it would be another matter.

I'd never been in a close relationship with a woman before. I'd been with other women casually, some in my hometown before I left and one when I was Guarding Ivan Zeklos, but none of them even came close to conjuring the feelings that being with Rose causes in me. I sometimes feel as if when I'm not with her I am missing a vital part of myself like an arm or a leg or more specifically my heart. I need to be with her and to be near her. I can't explain the hold she has over me. She touches my heart and soul like I never thought possible.

This past week had been less than perfect I had to admit that most of it was my fault. We'd fought several times. I'd made her upset. When I left for Court two days ago I could almost feel her relief in getting away from me. My heart constricted in pain at the thought that the love of my life was happy to be rid of me.

I was messing things up with her and I knew it, but somehow I couldn't stop doing things that made her angry. I wanted her to be calm in case we were going to have a child. I couldn't stand the not knowing. It was very poor timing and I knew it was wrong for me to ask her to give everything up for me. I was feeling guilty about the possibility of ruining her life as a guardian, but then again I wanted her to be the mother of my children more than anything.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed heavily. "What are you doing to me my Roza?" I groaned in exasperation.

It had been pure torture being separated from her for two days without a form of communication. It wasn't allowed on campus, but I really needed her to have a cell phone. It would have eased my mind being able to talk with her and text her while I was away. I'd thought about getting her one, but then I thought about what her reaction would be. She'd think that I was keeping tabs on her.

The plane landed at the Academy and I grabbed my bag. I wasn't on duty tonight. It was Rose's birthday and I could not wait another minute to see her. I could only hope that she wanted to see me after the way I had been acting.

I threw my stuff in my room and headed out to find Roza. It was nearly six pm. Knowing her she would probably still be asleep.

I knocked softly on her door. There was no answer. I used my key and entered her room quietly trying not to wake her. To my surprise she was not here. The room was empty.

Where could she be? My first guess would be that she was with the Princess.

I decided to let her sleep a little and headed over to the Guardian dining room to grab some breakfast.

When it was nearing 8pm breakfast time for the students I made my way to the dining hall to wait for Rose.

A few minutes after nine a very tired looking Christian and Lissa showed up. They sat down at their usual table and a few minutes later they were joined by Eddie and to my surprise Mia Rinaldi. They were talking and laughing. Around nine-thirty Rose still hadn't shown up. By this time I figured the Princess would be calling to her through the bond, but she didn't seem to care that Rose wasn't there.

On their way out of the cafeteria the Princess noticed me standing outside and came over. She waved goodbye to Christian, Eddie and Mia and told them she'd meet up with them later.

"Princess." I greeted her.

"It's Lissa." She reminded me politely.

I nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that tonight we are having a surprise party for Rose's birthday over in the guest housing." She told me. "I wanted to know if you would come?" she asked.

"I wouldn't miss it." I said. Surprise Rose? I laughed a litter internally. She had probably known about the party for a while, but I didn't say so. I didn't want to hurt Lissa's feelings.

"Great." She replied. She seemed nervous and she wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Do you happen to know where Rose is?" I asked.

"Why?" she asked defensively a look of panic crossing her face.

"I just got back and I wanted to see her, but she wasn't in her room and she didn't come to breakfast. Do you think she is with her mother?" I asked full well knowing she was not with Janine as I'd seen her in the dining hall an hour ago alone.

LPOV

As we were exiting the cafeteria I saw Dimitri standing against a tree. He looked like he was waiting for someone. I was nervous that he was looking for Rose.

I said goodbye to Christian, Eddie and Mia and told them I'd meet them at Adrian's in a little bit.

"Princess." He greeted me.

"It's Lissa." I reminded him.

I wanted to invite him to the party tonight. I hoped he would come. I can't stand seeing him and Rose arguing. They need to get past this.

"I just wanted to let you know that tonight we are having a surprise party for Rose's birthday over in the guest housing." I told him. " I wanted to know if you would come?" I looked down at the ground while I waited for his answer.

"I wouldn't miss it." He replied.

"Great." I told him and as I turned to leave he stopped me.

"Do you happen to know where Rose is?" he asked.

Oh my God I can't lie. I'm such a bad liar I could tell he knew I was panicking.

"Why?" I asked hoping to distract him.

"I just got back and I wanted to see her, but she wasn't in her room and she didn't come to breakfast. Do you think she is with her mother?" He explained.

I chewed my bottom lip nervously. What should I tell him? I couldn't lie to a Guardian even if he would believe me which he won't.

"Uh, well." I stammered.

"Is she alright?" he asked. He looked worried.

"Yea she's okay." I responded. I slipped into her head for a minute and she and Adrian were stopped at a gas station. She was fixing her hair in the bathroom.

"Lissa please tell me if you know where she is. I just want to talk to her." He said evenly.

I had to tell him, I didn't have a choice. He was going to blow a fuse and I knew it, but he couldn't get too mad at me here on the quad where people could see.

"She's with Adrian." I said softly.

He looked somewhat relieved to hear that, which I found odd.

"Thank you." He replied and started to walk towards guest housing.

"No, they're not there." I called to him instantly regretting it. I should have just made a run for it and let him figure it out, but I was stupid.

"Oh well where then?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "Kirova told Adrian it was okay for him and Rose to go to Missoula shopping." I said shakily.

"She left the wards?" he asked looking nervously towards the front gates of the school.

"She's 18 now. It's not like they could say no."

"How many guardians did they take?" he asked.

I gulped. As soon as I tell him I would set off a Russian Time Bomb. "None." I managed weakly.

And then it came.

"NONE?" he repeated loudly? His usually calm demeaner flew right out the window.

I nodded a little afraid of what he might do.

"Kirova just let a novice and a Royal Moroi leave the wards with no Guardians?" he said. His fists were clenched and he was practically shaking the look in his eyes was lethal.

"What would possess Rose to leave without a Guardian? Why didn't they send Guardian's for Lord Ivashkov ?" He exploded. I backed away slightly.

"You know Adrian doesn't take Guardians anywhere and besides Rose is a Guardian." I said as forcefully as I could trying to make him understand.

"She is NOT a guardian she is a novice." He responded angrily.

"No she isn't. She is a Guardian promise mark or not and I trust that she can keep me safe. She doesn't need a Guardian to protect her. She is the protector." I nearly screamed at him.

He looked rather surprised at my outburst. In fact I surprised myself at how loudly I was screaming at him.

He shook his head.

"How long ago did they leave?" he asked.

"Around 9am."

"And have they been in contact?" he asked.

"Well you know Rose doesn't have a phone and I didn't really think to ring Adrian." I replied. He was angry I could tell, but he was bringing back his control.

He sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. A slew of Russian words escaping his lips. Some I recognized others I didn't.

I sat down next to him "Guardian Belikov. Rose has killed more Strigoi than some Guardian's twice her age. She can protect them." I said trying to ease his worry.

"NO Princess she cannot. Not right now." He cried angrily.

I wanted to tell him that she wasn't pregnant, but I couldn't. Even if he knew she wasn't I don't think his reaction would have been any different. I needed to make him understand that if he continued to stifle her independence that he would lose her. Rose was strong willed and she already lived in my shadow. She didn't need anyone else overshadowing her.

"You have to trust her. She has better judgment than you think." I said hoping that he would realize that Rose wouldn't have left the wards unprotected."

"I'm sorry Princess I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was out of line." He replied putting on his Guardian façade. "Please forgive my actions."

"Dimitri I'm going to give you a little unsolicited advice." I told him.

"You have got to start treating her as an equal. If you are going to maintain a healthy relationship with her then you can't think of her as your student anymore. She's an adult now and in less than two months I am going to put my life in her hands. I trust her 110% and so should you. If you keep suffocating her you'll lose her." I said firmly.

He looked at me and his face softened.

"I know." He replied.

I was astonished that he admitted to being wrong so easily. Hopefully that would set them on the road to recovery and boy would he have some explaining to do.

"Here's Adrian's cell number, but you might want to just wait and see for a little while before you go all stalker on her." I wanted to add that she probably already knew about his outburst. She usually got sucked in when I was this upset.

I also wanted to tell him that I knew for a fact that Rose was fine and that she and Adrian would be home in less than an hour, but I didn't.

"Hopefully we'll see you at 7 for Rose's party." I told him and walked away.

**Haha! Lissa is kinda scary for a Princess isn't she? Was that what you were expecting that Lissa was witnessing or did you think it was Strigoi? Don't worry there will be Strigoi sooner or later. Do you think Rose will kick Dimka's Ass for yelling at Lissa? **

**Still lots of excitement to come. We have the Birthday Party, the Novice's trials, graduation, a move to Royal Court… Can't say too much without giving the rest away. Thanks for reading.**

**What do you think the arrangement that Dimitri made at Court is? If you guess right I might just tell you.**

**Review or you aren't invited to Rose's Birthday Party……=)**


	33. Chapter 33: Zen Lessons

**Chapter 33: Zen Lessons**

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy Dimitri and Adrian…. Care to share??? I'd be happy to take one of them off your hands for you. =)**

**So I am going to change what Rose and Lissa are wearing to the party because my links are completely dysfunctional. I will try to keep them similar, but not exact. Look for them when I post the Party chapter which will be soon. Here's more Dimitri for all you Dimka lovers out there. Hope you likey!! **

DPOV

I sat alone on the bench dumbfounded. I was losing it. I'd yelled at a Moroi Royal in the middle of the courtyard. Yelled at her, a woman no less ! I'd never once been rude to a royal or a woman like that not even Ivashkov and I hated him.

I couldn't believe that Kirova had allowed them to leave the wards without Guardians. What the Princess had yelled at me was the truth though. I had no right to be angry. Rose was going to be one of the best Guardian's around. She was young and still had to learn to control her impulses, but her fighting skills were top of the line and she knew how to use her surroundings to stay alive. I'd made damn sure of it.

I needed to calm down. I was quite sure that Rose would not appreciate the way I treated her best friend just now. I was acting like a child. How dare I accuse her of acting like one when I was just as bad if not worse. I felt incredibly guilty for the way I had acted towards Rose and Lissa.

It worried me that it was dark and they were not yet safe behind the wards of the Academy, but I needed to learn that Rose was not my possession she was my equal and I needed to respect her and treat her as such. She was free to make her own decisions even if I didn't agree with them. It just confused me that she would leave the safety of the Academy so soon after what had transpired in Russia. I thought back to our fight and how I'd all but smothered her with my demands. I felt certain that she could take care of herself, but it didn't stop me from feeling anxious.

I was upset that she'd willingly left for the day with Ivashkov as well. If I wasn't careful I'd lose her and he would be there to console her. He'd made it clear on more than one occasion that he was waiting for me to slip up and when I did he'd be there to take my place. I wasn't about to let that happen. I looked down at the piece of paper in front of me with Adrian's cell phone number on it. I programmed the number into my phone and threw it away. I made up my mind. I would not call them unless it became apparent that there was trouble.

The Princess was right. I needed to give her some space. As much as I wanted to be waiting at the car port when they came back I curbed that urge and instead went to change into my workout clothes. I needed to blow off some steam so I decided to work off my stress in the gym.

RPOV

I watched as Dimitri exploded in front of Lissa as she revealed my wherabouts. I cringed at the fury evident in his eyes. How dare he use that tone with her. She was a woman, Moroi and a Royal not to mention my best friend. How dare he? I was seething. When I got back I was definitely going to punch him straight in the eye. This was so unlike him. He was usually so under control.

Eventually he calmed down and started muttering in Russian. I knew he was upset and I knew why he was upset, but that didn't give him any right to take it out on her. She was innocent in all of this.

After the initial nervousness Lissa had calmed down and she sat next to him. What she said I will never forget. She truly is amazing. For all the times I thought she didn't understand me or didn't know what I was going through she sure proved right then and there that she knew me almost better than I knew myself.

I smiled as she finished her little speech. It was about time someone gave him one of his own Zen Lessons. What shocked me the most was Dimitri's response to her. He apologized which didn't surprise me, but he said he knew that his behavior with me was out of line. That I didn't expect. I watched him hand her Adrian's cell number and walk off.

_Thanks Liss_. I told her .

_Good luck I knew you were there._ She replied with a laugh.

I pulled myself out of her head and realized Adrian had been staring at me probably the whole time.

"Is everything okay Little Dhampir?" he asked.

"Yea I was with Lissa." I replied. "Everything is okay." He didn't press the issue. That's one thing I really liked about Adrian. He knew when to back off.

We got back into the car and I waited for his cell phone to ring, but it never did. I guess Dimitri had more self control than I thought. Either that or he was waiting to ambush us when we got back. I was nervous that it was the latter and we'd be awaiting a ticking Russian time bomb when we returned.

We arrived back at the Academy less than an hour later. The sun had set hours ago and I knew that even though he had calmed down that he would be worried as hell that we weren't back yet. I was taken back that he wasn't waiting for us at the car port. I thought for sure he'd be here ready to unleash one of his own Zen lessons on me and give Adrian some dirty looks, but he wasn't.

"See you later Little Dhampir." Called Adrian as he walked back towards guest housing.  
"Thanks Adrian I had a great time." I called back.

I knew he wasn't on duty today, but I wasn't ready to see him yet I was too worked up so I went back to my dorm, changed into my workout clothes and started off towards the gym. I put in my I-Pod and ran. I had only run a few times in the past few weeks and I was still a little rusty. I pushed myself to complete my usual number of laps. I was almost a minute slower than usual my muscles were a little sore. I stretched a little and decided to go into the gym and hit the practice dummies a little to calm my nerves.

Before I reached the gym I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey Rose wait up." It was Eddie. He was running to catch up with me.

"Hey what's up?" I asked him wondering what he was doing heading for the gym on a Saturday.

"Just trying to get in some extra practice before trials. What about you? You looked a little peeved while you were running."

"Yea I just need to go hit something for a while." I said with a tight smile. "Want to be my punching bag?" I asked with a cocky grin. I hadn't had a good spar in a few weeks.

"Sure and since you've been out of practice a while I think I might actually be able to take you down." He said with a wink.

"Fat chance Eddo!" I said putting my I-pod in the bleachers and getting into my fighting stance.

We circled each other for a few minutes neither wanting to go on the offensive. Eventually he got a little precocious and took a swing at me. I blocked him easily and he was able to deflect my jabs as well. We were evenly matched right now because I was out of practice and he was at the top of his game.

I faked right and used my left leg to kick him hard in the shins. His legs buckled, but he recovered quickly. I dodged a few more of his punches and then roundhouse kicked him hard in the chest. He stumbled back and fell on the mats. I tried to pin him, but he was too fast for me and he managed to reverse it so he was on top of me. I head butted him and flipped him over. I almost had him, but he was able to right himself. He stood quickly and before I could react he kicked me hard in the abdomen I flew halfway across the gym and fell to the ground in pain. As my head hit the floor with a loud smack I heard his worried voice.

"Roza!" he shouted loudly.

I lay there unable to stand up due to the throbbing pain that was shooting through my head. I'd hit it on the wooden floor when I fell. A second later Dimitri was standing over me and yelling loudly at Eddie. "What were you thinking? She hasn't recovered yet. Get out of here now!" he bellowed .

Eddie looked freaked out as Dimitri hovered over me shouting at him.

"Sorry I didn't know." He stammered and ran for the door.

"Roza ," his hands were on my cheeks. "Roza are you okay?"

I moaned as I tried to sit up. "Don't try to move." He warned. "I'm taking you to the clinic." He reached under and lifted me off the ground. I started to protest.

"NO! Put me down. I'm fine." I said.

"Roza you could have internal bleeding he kicked you right in the abdomen." He said.

I could see the fear and concern in his eyes. "It doesn't matter." I said.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter whaf if.. "

I cut him off. "I'm not." I said softly. He looked at me as he slowly set me down on the bench in the gym office.

"I see." He said. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath of air.

"When did you find out?" he asked I could tell he was relieved, but his eyes shown disappointment.

"Yesterday." I said slowly.

He was quiet. He didn't look at me. I knew a million things were going through his mind.

I put my hand over his. "Hey, it wasn't the right time. We'll know when it is." I said softly trying to comfort him. He looked up at me with love in his eyes.

"I know." He replied. He took my hand and slowly brought it to his lips.

"I'm sorry Roza. It was wrong for me to hope." He stated.

"Don't say that." I told him. "I want nothing more than to be the mother of your child someday." I confessed to him. "It's just not the right time."

"Really you want that?" His eyes lit up, but he seemed surprised at my admission.

"Of course I do you silly Russian." I chastised him playfully. My head was still hurting, but my abdomen felt better.

"It's just that there are things I'd like to do before then. Like be Lissa's Guardian and I don't know be intimate with you more than just twice." I said with a laugh. "

"I want that too Roza." He said kissing my forehead softly.

"Now let's get you to the clinic." He said moving to lift me again.

"Please Comrade. I'm fine. My head hurts a little, but I'm fine. Just take me back to my room." I pleaded.

He sighed. "Okay." He said resignedly.

"And I can walk." I told him.

He set me down and let me lean on him for support. He took me back to my room without a fight. Wow that was too easy. Maybe I should have Lissa yell at him all the time.

**So do you think she's going to kick his ass for yelling at Lissa? Who wants them to make up?? Who thinks they are not going to work out and I should let Adrian steal her from Dimitri??? Review and I might just throw a lemon into the upcoming chapters. =)**


	34. Chapter 34: Best Bizarre Birthday Ever

**Chapter 34: Birthday Gifts**

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns all… but you know that already.**

**Here's some more Dimitri fluff and a little OOC Janine. Enjoy.**

RPOV

It was nearly midnight when we reached my room. There were a lot of other students milling around. The desk clerk looked up as we entered. I faked being a little more dazed than I was so they wouldn't think it was strange for Dimitri to accompany me to my room.

"Are you really alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I said.

I was still a little miffed at him for going off on Lissa. So before he sat down I used the element of surprise and kicked him hard square in the right kneecap. I was Abe Mazur's daughter after all and I had a reputation to live up to. His leg buckled and he nearly fell to the ground.

"What was that for?" he cried out in pain.

I stood up straight and put my hands on my hips. "Don't you ever and I mean ever yell at Lissa like that again or I will do more than just attempt to break your kneecap! Got it?"

He looked ashamed. "Rose I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." He said hanging his head in shame.

"I know you're sorry, but this has to stop." I told him.

We talked for a while after that and although things weren't going to be perfect we were both able to admit our wrong doings and understand the others point of view. He agreed to treat me as an equal and I agreed to stop fighting him on every minute point.

We lay next to each other just talking and him holding me for a while in silence. It felt so good to back in his arms.

"I almost forgot." He said suddenly sitting up and pulling something small out of his pocket.

"Happy Birthday Roza." He said smiling. He handed me the box. It was small and velvet.

"You didn't have to do that." I said.

"I wanted to. Now open it."

I loved getting presents and this one would be extra special since it was from him.

I opened the box slowly and nestled inside was a beautiful silver ring. It had two heart stones on it. They were purple.

"Oh Dimitri it's beautiful." I gasped looking at him.

He pulled it out of the box and took my hand in his. He slipped it onto my right ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"I'm glad you like it. I was nervous that you wouldn't." He was grinning like a fool.

I laughed. "No it's really perfect." I said staring at it in awe.

"Roza I know that things haven't been perfect and that many will be against us, but I wanted you to know that I plan on being with you for the rest of my existence." He said his voice thick with emotion.

I looked into his deep brown eyes. " I want that too." I breathed.

Slowly he brought his lips to mine and kissed me with passion. He pulled away after a few minutes leaving us both breathless. I rested my head on his chest and he stroked my hair gently.

"Where did you get it?" I asked as I twisted it around my finger. It looked expensive and I didn't want him spending money on me.

"It was my grandmother's." he replied.

She gave it to me when I left to become a Guardian. She told me to give it to the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

My heart nearly stopped beating. "And you want me to have it?" I gulped.

"There will never be anyone else for me Roza." He replied. "You're my everything."

I couldn't believe how lucky I was. It was rare for Dhampirs to fall in love, but to have someone like him love me completely the way I loved him was once in a blue moon.

I sighed in contentment and drifted off to sleep snuggled in his arms. This might just be the best birthday ever.

I awoke from my peaceful slumber to the sound of someone pounding on my door. Beside me Dimitri was awake as well. He looked at me unsure of whether or not he should hide.

"Rose open up it's your mother." Said Janine sternly from outside.

Dimitri quickly jumped off the bed and righted his tousled pony tail. I ran my fingers through my hair as well. Dimitri took a seat in my desk chair as I went to open the door. I wasn't going to hide him being here from her when she already knew about us, but I didn't want her to think that all we did was have sex. Especially when we hadn't even done it since we left Russia.

I opened the door.

She was standing there and she was not wearing her Guardian attire. To my utter amazement she was wearing a dress and heels. Her hair was pinned back elegantly and she was wearing make-up.

I gaped at her as she entered.

"Close your mouth Rose you look like a fish." She snapped as I closed the door.

I did as I was told.

"Belikov." She greeted him.

"Janine." He replied with a nod.

"Mom you're wearing a dress!" I shrieked. "Why are you wearing a dress?" I don't think I've ever seen her wear a dress in fact I don't think I'd ever seen her without her Guardian attire or workout clothing.

" I am a woman you know." She said flatly.

"Okay what are you doing here?" I asked suddenly wondering what was up with her.

"Can't a mother come see her daughter on her birthday?" she asked.

"A mother can, but you never have." I retorted sharply.

Dimitri cleared his throat and shot me a look of disapproval.

"Get dressed." My mother ordered.

"I am dressed." I said looking down at my Capri sweat pants and my work out tank.

"You're not going in that are you?" she asked with distain.

"Going where?"

"Out to dinner with me." She replied as if I should have known what she was thinking.

"I didn't know we were going anywhere." I replied obtusely wondering if I'd forgotten her telling me or if she'd forgotten to tell me.

"Well we're going out. Hop to it. You have twenty minutes." She said.

I was very confused and I gave Dimitri a WTF look. He just shrugged as I headed to my bathroom to freshen up. I took a two minute rinse off shower, blew out my hair, shaved my legs and applied minimal amounts of under eye concealer, mascara and lip gloss.

I tried slipping into Lissa's head, but she was blocking me rather well I might add. Something was fishy.

I came out of the bathroom in my bathrobe. Dimitri had excused himself while I was gone telling my mother he'd see me later.

I went rummaging through my closet to find something to wear.

"Here wear this." My mother said thrusting the garment bag with the dress Adrian had bought me earlier today in it.

"Okay then can you at least tell me what restaurant we are going to?" I whined.

"It must be pretty swanky if I had to get this dressed up."

"Nope it's a surprise." She said keeping her guardian mask on.

She helped me into the dress and cut off the tags for me. Her jaw almost hit the ground when she saw the designer label and price tag.

"Where did you get this? Did Abe send it?" she asked. Ha! If only she knew what Abe sent me for my birthday.

"No, Adrian bought it for me for my birthday." I said apprehensively. I knew she didn't much like Moroi men who continuously hit on Dhampirs and I knew what she thought of Adrian.

She grunted. "And Belikov is okay with that?" she asked harshly.

"Dunno, didn't tell him." I shrugged.

"Hmph!"

I put on my shoes and before I could stand up my mother thrust a little pink bag at me.

"Err Happy Birthday Rose." She said awkwardly.

Was this a birthday present? I looked down suspiciously at the small pink bag. I wonder what possessed her to do that. I mean she hasn't gotten me anything for the past fifteen years. She didn't even call or send cards. This was definitely going down as not only the best birthday ever, but the most bizarre as well.

"Well don't just stare at it open it!" she commanded.

I opened the bag and revealed a very sleek digital camera.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "Mom I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"Well you know. I realized that the last picture I have of you was taken almost four years ago and the only one of the two of us is from when you were four." She said almost inaudibly averting her eyes to the ground.

"So let's change that." I said trying to lighten her up a little.

I took the camera out of the package and set it on the bookshelf across the room. I set the automatic timer and grabbed my mom.

"Don't forget to say cheese." I told her as I posed us for the camera. I thought I heard her stifle a laugh.

I walked over to retrieve the camera. The photo was perfect. Although , we didn't look anything alike, what with me being almost six inches taller than her with dark hair and dark eyes. I looked like a giant next to her petit frame and her short curly red hair and green eyes.

"Okay enough let's go." She said practically dragging me out of my room.

I grabbed the camera and quickly slipped on my chotki.

We were walking towards guest housing. Oh man this has Lissa written all over it I thought. Going out to dinner my ass!

**Uh Oh It's Party Time!!! Please Review. Next Chapter will be the party and if I get enought people to review this one Roza and Dimitri will make Lemonade in the next chapter ! Yay!!! **


	35. Chapter 35: It's Party Time!

**Chapter 35: It's Party Time! **

**Disclaimer: All belongs to Richelle Mead... I just write down my own thoughts. **

**Here's the Party we've all been waiting for and a Birthday Lemon! Enjoy. Also look for links to their outfits on my profile. I have replaced the dysfunctional ones with ones that work. Rose's dress might be a little different cause I can't find an accurate pic. **

**Also, pictures of Rose's Birthday gifts including her ring from Dimitri have been posted to my profile as well. Check them out. **

RPOV

When we entered the building my Mom made some excuse about forgetting something in her room. We got on the elevator and went up to the same floor that Adrian lived on.  
"Here just wait here." She told me.

After she'd been gone a minute, I saw the next part of the scheme fall into place. "Hey there Little Dhampir, did you miss me?" Adrian asked sauntering towards me with a smile. He had on nice clothes and I could smell cologne.

"Yea sure." I said sarcastically. "Wow you look fine in that dress." He said wolf whistling at me.

" Yea yea I know so where's the party?" I asked bluntly.

His eyes betrayed his innocence. "Party?" he asked. "What party?"

"I'm not daft Adrian just bring me there and I'll act all surprised okay?"

He nodded. "Sure thing Little Dhampir." He motioned for me to accompany him to his room.

He opened the door and it was dark. Like that wasn't a dead giveaway.

As soon as the door clicked shut the lights flicked on and everyone jumped out and yelled "Surprise."

I feigned astonishment.

"Wow this is so unexpected!" I cried.

Lissa's face fell. "You knew." she said sullenly.

"Sorry." I said, but it's really hard to pull the wool over my eyes.

"I'm not wearing a party hat." I groaned as she tried to strap one to my head.

"Stop being such a kill joy." She said giving me a glare that said she meant business. I let her strap the damn hat to my head.

I glanced around the room. Christian was there, Lissa, my Mom, Adrian, Eddie, Mia, Dimitri.

Wait Mia? "Oh my God Mia?" I cried. She rushed forward and gave me a hug. "Surprise." She said cheerfully. We headed over to the bar area and Mia filled us in on all the gossip at the Royal Court and what she'd been doing with her magic.

Lissa and Mia both made a huge fuss over my gift from Dimitri.

_So is it like an engagement ring? _asked Lissa excitedly.

_Don't get ahead of yourself Liss. You know we can never do something like that so don't freak out._

_But you said he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. _She persisted.

_He did say that... _I sighed dreamily staring down at the beautiful ring on my finger. It wasn't that I didn't want to be engaged to Dimitri, but Dhampirs didn't do things like that. He'd said he wanted to be together forever and that was enough for me.

The party was great. Adrian had ordered in Chinese from my favorite place, the music was awesome and everyone was having a sensational time. If Licassa wasn't a Royal Moroi I'd suggest she take up party planning. Some of us were playing cards when I felt Dimitri come up behind me. He'd been accross the room making small talk with my mother.

"I'm so glad you are here." I said as he held me close.  
"MMM me too Roza." He breathed against my neck.

"You knew about this." I stated.

"Only for a few hours." He replied. "Besides I knew you knew as soon as she told me." He said pointing to Lissa.

"She was too excited. I knew you would feel it."

"Yeah. I knew something was up."

We used my new camera to take a bunch of photos. We took couples, just the girls, the whole group and then a few of just me and my Mom. It felt good to be surrounded by the people I loved.

It was well into the Moroi night and we were still at Adrian's my mother had made her excuses about an hour ago and left. I could tell Dimitri was slightly uncomfortable, but I wanted him to stay so he did.

I slow danced in his arms and he laughed when I nearly choked taking a shot of Russian Vodka.  
"Let that be a lesson to you." He said sternly.

He cut me off after two shots and Lissa after 3. Christian didn't have any and neither did Eddie. Mia had two. Who knows how many Adrian had? It was a wonder he still had a liver.

"Who had to bring the chaperone to the party?"Growled Adrian. We all laughed as he pouted.

"Time for your present." Cried Lissa excitedly.

"Liss you didn't need to get me anything." I said.

_You and I both know you don't mean that! _She said with a giggle.

_You're right give it to me._ I responded with a grin.

She handed me a small packaged wrapped in silver. I tore open the paper. "Oh my God Liss!" I shrieked.

"I know right?" she asked with a smirk.

I pulled out the New I-Phone she'd given me.

"You are the best you know that!" I told her as I threw my arms around her in a giant bear hug.

"I knew you've been wanting a cell phone for a while and I couldn't help myself. You won't tell on her for having one will you Dimitri?" she asked pointedly.

"What cell phone?" he asked with a straight face.

"Thank you thank you thank you." She cried hugging him tightly. He was a little perturbed at first, but hugged her back.

Christian glared at them and I guffawed. "Don't worry Sparky. He's all mine!" I said with a wink.

Dimitri looked confused when everyone else burst out laughing while Lissa was scowling and turning red.

He looked at me for an explanation. "Inside Joke Comrade." I told him. He just nodded.

It was nearly 2pm when Dimitri insisted we break up the party.

I said goodbye to my friends as we escorted Lissa and Christian back to the moroi dorms and Eddie and Mia back to his dorm. She was going to stay with him while she was here. I think they are secretly seeing each other and I couldn't be happier for them.

Then to my surprise Dimitri picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and carried me into the woods.  
"Hey where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." he responded.

"Your ass looks great from this angle." I commented.

"So does yours." He said sexily.

A few minutes later he set me down in front of our cabin. The one we had made love in for the first time a little over two weeks ago.

I just looked at him as he opened the door and led me inside and my heart was racing with anticipation.

There were two oil lamps illuminating the room and there was a fire burning in the fireplace. There were white and red rose petals tastefully strewn accross the floor and on the bed. Dimitri's eyes sparkled with excitement in the flickering light of the fire place.

"You don't know how hard It was for me to look at you in that dress all night and not to tear it off you." He said huskily bringing his hands to rest on my hips.

"Now's as good a time as any." I replied pulling on the ends of his shirt. We had all night so we took our time enjoying each other throuroughly.

He slowly unfastened the zipper in the back of my dress and slid it down gently until it pooled at my feet. I stepped out of it and kicked it to the side.

I stood before him wearing a black lacy strapless bra and matching lace thong. His eyes perused my body slowly from my black strappy heels to my bare shoulders and back. His gaze rested on my face and his dark eyes bore lustfully into mine.

I took this opportunity to remove his shirt agonizingly slow. I tossed it to the side and fondled his muscular chest. He emitted a low growl as I continued to explore his body. I removed my hands and began to trail sensual kisses from just above his waist until I grazed his neck with my nose.

"Roza." My name fell seductively from his lips as he clasped my behind in his hands and lifted me off the ground.

"I'm not done playing." I whined flirtatiously.

"It's my turn." He whispered erotically in my ear.

I shivered at his touch.

DPOV

She stood before me teasing and tempting me with her hands and her mouth I couldn't stop myself from grabbing her behind and lifting her off the ground. Her body flush against mine felt incredible. I wanted to touch every part of her.

"I'm not done playing." She whined biting her lip seductively.

"It's my turn." I whispered in her ear making her shiver.

I used my mouth the generously explore her exquisite body. I released her breasts from their prison and swirled my tongue over each of her hardened peaks. The soft sensual moans that escaped her lips as she moved beneath me were turning me on even more. I kissed my way down from the valley between her breasts to her naval. I sucked gently on her heated skin. I brought my lips back up and kissed her lips softly. Her moaning grew as I parted her legs raking my eyes over her perfectly shaped breasts and slender middrift and tore off the black lacey piece of cloth that covered her. My eyes feasted on her completely naked flesh. She was truly the most exquisite creature I'd ever laid eyes on. Somehow the rest of my clothing ended up in a heap on the floor as well.

Before we became one I remembered to protect us. We had discussed our options and Rose had begun taking the pill, but it wouldn't be fully effective for about a month. The rest of the night was spent gently making love and whispering tenderly. Then with her asleep wrapped protectively in my arms I drifted into blissful oblivion. I awoke early and watched as my angel slept tranquilly by my side. A look of serenity made her already beautiful face radiant. It was a sign that she was resting undisturbed by outside interference. I wanted to wake up to her angelic face every day of my life and if everything worked out the in the fashion I hoped it would I would get my wish even though I didn't deserve it. She stirred in my arms. She rolled over and her beautiful brown eyes fluttered open. They were sleepy and her make-up from the night before had slightly gone awry, but she looked absolutely stunning.

"Morning Comrade." She said sleepily stretching her arms above her head letting out a soft yawn.

"Yes it is a very good morning Roza." I replied leaning over to kiss her softly on the lips hoping this would become and everyday occurrence.

**Yay for lemonade!!! Did you like the lemon? I wanted it to be romantic without getting too graphic. So who's ready for Rose to finally take her Trials??? Do you think she will pass? What did you think of all the birthday gifts?? Which one was the best?**


	36. Chapter : Remembering Mason

**Chapter 36: Remembering Mason**

**Disclaimer: All sexy Vampires and Dhampirs belong to Richelled Mead. **

**This chapter is more or less a filler, but I though Mason deserved to be remembered. Enjoy!**

RPOV

The last few weeks flew by like nothing. Classes were over and we'd just taken our last finals. I was passing every subject with a C or higher that was a first for me. I surmised that I had my Russian god to thank for all of the quality studying I put in. He helped me with the more difficult subjects like Calculus and Advanced Guardian Theory. He really was good at absolutely everything. Things between us had been going pretty well. We hadn't really seen much of each other outside of training and studying though since he was taking extra shifts and I had a lot of graduation preparation.

This morning was my last final and I felt like I'd aced it. I rushed out of class and sped over to the cafeteria where I knew Lissa was waiting for me.

"We finally did it!" she shrieked happily nearly leaping out of her seat. She threw her arms around me squeezing me tight.

"Who would have thought I'd be passing every subject and graduating top of my class in combat?" I laughed hugging her back.

"Where's Sparky and Eddie and Adrian?" I asked looking around. The cafeteria was bustling with excitement now that school was officially out.

She shrugged.

_Rose why aren't you as excited as me?_

I knew she could feel my anxiety. In the past two months she had caught on to the tricks of the bond rather quickly. She could now enter my head at will ninety percent of the time. When she got sucked in she was able to pull herself without difficulty. Well most of the time. If she was sleeping it was not as easy a task which I knew unfortunately from her many many late night encounters with Sparky.

_Sorry it's just that classes might be over, but trials are in two days and I'm not sure I'm ready. _I confessed with a sigh.

_Rose you're more than ready. You're the only novice ever to have molnija before a promise mark. You've been in real combat and survived. _

_I know _I said sadly thinking about Mason. He should be here graduating with us, but he wasn't. He'd stupidly returned to rescue me when he'd already escaped to safety. I would be forever grateful that I was not dead, but forever remorseful that he had taken my place.

_Rose it wasn't your fault. _ Said Lissa trying to comfort me. She of course felt my guilt flare up at the thought of him.

_It was my fault. I've come to terms with it Liss, but he loved me and I led him on and it was his feelings for me that interfered and got him killed. He never would have come back for me had he felt otherwise. _ I responded sadly a lone tear escaping my eye.

"Why the tears Little Dhampir?" Asked Adrian whom I didn't even hear approach. He used his thumb to wipe the tear that had slowly fallen down my cheek away.

I sniffled a little. "Just tears of happiness." I said forcing a smile.

"Sure they are. You know your Aura gives you away right?"

"She was thinking about how Mason should be here graduating with us." Explained Lissa with a sad smile.

"Rose, don't be like that he would have wanted us to be happy and to make the most of our lives. You know that." Said Eddie coming up behind me with a tray of food.

"I know. I just can't help thinking about him right now. He would have made an excellent Guardian."

"I don't doubt it." Said Eddie. "Let's just focus on the positive."

"I agree." Said Lissa.

"Me too!" Agreed Christian who had sat down at the table next to her.

"So who do you think you'll get assigned to Eddie?" Asked Lissa.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping to stay with you guys, but you already have Rose and Belikov and who knows if Ozera will even get a guardian with the way the Queen hates him and his family." He said with a sigh.

Christian grimaced at that comment. We all knew it was the truth though. Tasha didn't have a Guardian and Christian probably wouldn't either. It would be like I had two charges because there's no way I wouldn't protect him. Even though I acted like I hated him most of the time, I really loved him like a brother.

"You were hoping to move to the Royal Court to be near Mia weren't you?" I asked bluntly.

"Uh well yea." He said blushing profusely.

"We all know you guys are together and we couldn't be happier." I said.

We all nodded in agreement.

"And who says Sparky here won't get a guardian? And if you didn't know already there's an opening to be Lissa's guardian because Dimitri has asked to be reassigned."

"Really? Why?" he asked.

"Because we can't both guard her and be about if you and Mia were both guarding Lissa and there were Strigoi. Who would you jump in front of?"

"Mia." He responed with a knowing look.  
"Exactly my point." I responded.

"So are you nervous for your trials Little Dhampir?" asked Adrian.

"A little." I admitted.

Eddie groaned loudly. "Rose you can't be nervous. If you're nervous think of how the rest of us regular novices are feeling."

"Regular novices? What am I then?"

"You my love are amazing." Came a deep voice from behind me.

"MMM say it again I didn't quite catch it the first time Comrade." I said with a mischievous grin.

He put his hands on my shoulders which was about all he could do in a room full of students.

"You are incredible." He said with one of his heart stopping smiles.

"Well that's it I'm not nervous anymore." I said with a laugh.

"Funny Rose." Griped Eddie pushing his food around on his plate.

_Rose are you going to be getting ready with me in my room for graduation on Saturday?_

_Of course who else would I spend the day with? _

Lissa smiled brightly.

"Hey stop doing that it's not fair." Whined Christian.

"Doing what?" asked Dimitri curiously. We hadn't let him in on the whole bond thing yet and he was beginning to wonder at some of mine and Lissa's odd behavior and why we were always sitting together, but never talking. Or so he thought.

"Nothing." I replied quickly shooting Christian a death glare.

"Oh really." Said Dimitri raising his eyebrow.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Snarked Chistian under his breath.  
Lissa kicked him hard under the table.

"Hey the guy has a right to know." He said rubbing his shin.

"The right to know what?"

"Geez Sparky I'm really going to go to jail for beating the snot out of you." I snapped grabbing my tray and chucking the rest of my lunch into the trash.

I stormed away from the table angrily. I knew Dimitri would follow me so I walked quickly towards the one place I knew he couldn't go, the girls's bathroom. I was about to push the door open when I felt his arms tighten around my waist. He pulled me against him.

"Roza there is something you're not telling me." He breathed against my neck.

"So not fair Comrade." I complained as I nearly went weak in the knees from his close proximity.

"Come with me." He said taking my hand and pulling me towards the Guardian dorms. We went in the back way and he led me up the stairs to his room. I hadn't been in his room since the night of the lust spell. Although now that we were together that night doesn't seem so erotic anymore.

He sat down on his bed and I stood between his legs facing him. He had his hands on my hips.

"Now what is the big secret?" he asked curiosity in his eyes.

"What big secret?" I asked throwing him one of my man eater smiles.

I took a step closer and captured his lips in a hungry kiss.

He responded back for a minute and then pulled away.

"Naughy Roza. Stop trying to distract me or I will have to punish you." His voice was teasing.

"Yes, I've been very naughty are you going to spank me Comrade?" I asked seductively.

He rolled his eyes. "Roza Roza whatever am I going to do with you?"

"I can think of a few things." I said with a wink.

"Stop being coy and just spill it or I will make you." He said forcefully. He was in Guardian mode now all signs of playfulness were gone.

"You're no fun." I pouted.

"Roza." He said gruffly.

"Fine I've been learning how to curse in Russian." I lied.

"Okay then teach me what you've learned." He said sitting back on the bed with his arms crossed.

Lucky for me I'd been texting Viktoria and she'd taught me a few Russian swear words.

"Well you're just being a big Zhopa." I said calling him an ass.

He smirked. " And?" he wanted me to continue. I rattled off the words for Bitch, Whore and the F-Bomb.

He looked slightly amused.

"I'll have to give my dear sister a good talking to when we're done here." He said with a smirk.

My jaw dropped.

"How did you?"

"Those are some of her favorite words if I remember correctly."

"And Roza. I know you are still lying to me." He said.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now we have to prepare you for trials."

I groaned loudly. This was going to be a long day.

**Next Chapter will contain the Trials! Please Review it helps me write faster. **


	37. Chapter 37: The Trials

**Chapter 37: The Trials**

**Here they are the Trials! I hope they live up to your expectations. I am not good at fight scenes please remember that while reading. **

**RPOV**

Two days had passed and it was now the day of trials. Each student would be given three tasks. The first was to fight one on one with a guardian while blindfolded. The second was to run an obstacle course with a dummy the size and weight of a Moroi on our backs while fending off attacks and the third was to go five on one with the Guardians. They would all be timed.

They asked me to go last so that the other students wouldn't be as nervous. I waited patiently in a small tent while the others had their test. Dimitri had wished me good luck and so had my friends before leaving to watch from the bleachers.

When it was my turn I grabbed my practice stake and headed for the middle of the field. Alberta was there waiting for me with a blindfold. "Good luck Miss Hathaway." she said before moving quickly away. I didn't know with whom I'd be fighting. It could be any Guardian on campus. Alberta, Stan, Celeste or even Dimitri for all I knew. I hoped it wasn' t Dimitri he was too good.

I felt a slight rush of wind from behind me and I knew I was being stalked. I crouched into a fighting stance and waited to be attacked. It came swiftly from the side and I was ready. We scuffled a bit each getting in a few good swings, but neither losing our footing. I knew for sure that it was not Dimitri I was fighting. The attacker was too short which made it more difficult for me since I was used to being shorter than the person I was fighting. I could feel Lissa's excitement and anxiousness from the crowd.

Dimitri and I had practiced fighting with me blindfolded on more than one occasion. I now knew why he did that. The attacks came faster and harder and without cease I was getting tired and my attacker had yet to falter, I stumbled back after receiving a strong blow to the chest, I was about out of maneuvers, but at the last second I anticipated a charge from the left correctly and was able to throw my attacker to the ground. I held him down with my foot and placed my practice stake directly over the heart. Man this guy was small. I thought as I located the heart.

The crowd erupted in cheers and although I was breathless I had passed the first trial. I pulled off my blindfold and looked at the Guardian I had pinned down on the ground.

"Mom?" I gasped. My mother lay on the ground disheveled and breathless with a huge smile on her face.

"Congratulations Rose. You fought very well." She complimented me.

Wow I had taken down my mother the badass in a fight blindfolded. I smiled and gave her my hand to help her to her feet.

I glanced quickly out into the crowd and found Lissa waving at me with excitement.

My mother handed me my next task. I strapped the dummy to my back and boy was it heavy. Much heavier than Lissa.

I entered the obstacle course and fended off simultaneous attacks by several guardians. First Alberta then Yuri and Celeste double teamed me and then finally Stan. I made it to safety with time to spare and my Moroi charge still intact. I had passed my second trial.

They took the dummy gave me some water and then it was onto my third and final task. It was a level playing field just me, my practice stake and five Guardians dressed from head to toe in black. The first to come at me was Stan. He lunged at me and I quickly staked him using a maneuver Dimitri had taught me. Then before I had a chance to move Alberta and Celeste were practically on top of me. I fought hard and managed to stake Celeste, but Alberta was very skilled and managed to evade my attempts.

As soon as Celeste was out of the picture I felt a hard jab to my left shoulder. I kicked backwards my foot connecting with a body and as I turned to look I saw my mother fly clear across the room. It bought me a few seconds as Alberta lunged for me again just as I felt someone approach me from the side. It was Dimitri and he was fast. He reached me and had me on the ground before I could move. I quickly managed to get to my feet. He and Alberta were circling me. My mother joined them and it was three on one. We grappled long and hard and I managed to stake Alberta first and then I got in a good roundhouse to Dimitri's face causing him to fall backwards which allowed me the opportunity to jump on my mother's back and stake her from behind. She just nodded and stepped out of the way. Then it was just me and Dimitri.

He was good and I thought for a second I was going to fail my trials, but then I heard Lissa's voice come to me through the bond.

_Rose you can do this remember you beat him once in the field experience and you know all of his moves. Go get him! Knock that Russian on his ass! _She cheered encouragingly.

That was all the strength I needed to put up a good fight. We fought hard and long and just when he thought he had me pinned I used a move I'd seen my mother do during the rescue mission. It worked to my advantage that he was so much taller than I was just as it had worked for my mother. As I kicked his legs out from under him I saw his face turn to shock and then pride as he knew I had him beat. I threw myself on top of him and jammed the practice stake over his heart with force. I was breathing heavily as was he. His eyes met mine and the message they conveyed could not be put into words.

He helped me up and before I knew it all of my friends and my mother were surrounding me and congratulating me.

"Oh my God Rose you were incredible. I knew you'd be the best." Lissa cried.

"You're a force to be reckoned with Hathway." Christian admitted hugging me. "I wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

"Why thanks Sparky."

"Little Dhampir you did me proud!" said Adrian lifting me off the ground in a tight embrace. He kissed my cheek before setting me back on my feet.

"You fought well Rosemarie and I'm so proud of you." My mother said her voice thick with emotion. If I wasn't mistaken there were tears in her eyes.

"I knew from the minute I laid eyes on you that you'd be the best Guardian there ever was." Dimitri whispered in my ear. He put his hand on the side of my face and stroked my cheek softly.

And just when I thought everyone had congratulated me I was shocked when I saw Abe making his way through the crowd. He was flashy as ever, Guardians flanking him on both sides, but the smile on his face was unmistakable.  
"Kizim you were fantastic." He raved as he pulled me into a hug. "In all my years I've never seen anyone take down Janine Hathaway with such force." He said in awe.

"Good to see you again Guardian Belikov." Greeted Abe holding out his hand.

Dimitri didn't seem too happy that he was there, but as always was the picture politeness.

"I'm glad you could make it to see Rose's trials. Will you be staying long?"

Abe's eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Dimitri wasn't fond of him, but he didn't act as if he cared.

"Actually I will be staying through Sunday. I don't want to miss seeing Rose after the Promise Marks tonight or Moroi graduation on Saturday where Rose will get her charge assignment." He responded easily.

"You're staying?" I responded excitedly.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world Kiz. I know you didn't know it at the time, but I watched you walk across that stage once before." He said with a smile.

I gasped. "You came to my graduation?"

"Of course. You're my daughter." He replied as if it were nothing.

"That was nice of you seeing that my own mother didn't make it." I gave my mother a dirty look.

Janine glared at Abe. "You weren't supposed to go." She said angrily.

"Hush, I do what I please." He said dismissively.

To my surprise she backed off. Wow he really was a little scary to have Janine under his thumb.

"I will be staying in guest housing." Said Abe. "See you later tonight Kiz." He kissed my forehead and swept out of the tent like a Royal.

"That man is so frustrating." My mother said clenching her fists.

I laughed.

We all disbursed as I would be needing to shower and change in order to go to my promise ceremony later this evening. Lissa, Adrian, Christian and Abe would not be able to attend as it was only for Dhampirs. It made me feel good to know that they would be waiting for me after though. At least Dimitri and my mom would be there and Eddie of course who had passed his trials with flying colors just as I knew he would.

The ceremony was solemn and as we each repeated the Guardian oath the room was full of unspoken regret for the one student that was missing, Mason.

After the ceremony Lissa had planned a small get together in one of the common rooms. It was okay for Dimitri and I to go public with our relationship now so he didn't feel as awkward attending as he usually did. He actually wore his hair down and he was dressed casually in Jeans and a tight grey long sleeved thermal. He seemed more relaxed than ever and almost happy.

Lissa had pizzas delivered and there was a big chocolate cake that read Congratulations Rose and Eddie!

Adrian had even managed to spike the punch.

I laughed as I'd already had three cups before Dimitri had tried some and nearly spit it out. "

What is in this?" he demanded.

I played dumb. "What do you mean? It's punch." I couldn't help but snicker a little as Lissa choked trying not to laugh.

"Haven't you ever had Jungle Juice Dimitri?" asked Lissa innocently. I don't know how she kept a straight face.

He looked confused. I'm pretty sure they had another name for it in Russia.

"It's a concoction made from 90% random liquor and 10% fruit punch." Came a female voice as she entered the room.

**Cue creepy movie music…. Who do you think it is and what did you think of the Trials? **

**Okay so I finally let myself read the first chapter of Sprit Bound on Richelle's website yesterday and it nearly had me in tears! I am so excited for May 18****th**** I could just bust! I have a feeling that Adrian is going to get used and dumped before the series is over. Sadness! **


	38. Chapter 38: The Bitch is Back

**Chapter 38: The Bitch is Back**

**Disclaimer: All Vampire Academy plotlines and characters belong to Richelle Mead. That being said do us all a favor and release the last two books today I am dying…..**

**This chapter is slightly humerous, but when I said there would be more drama this is the start of it…. Dun dun dun!!! Enjoy.**

RPOV

"Aunt Tasha!" exclaimed Christian excitedly as he crossed the room to embrace his Aunt.

Now it was my turn to choke on my punch as I saw Dimitri's face light up as Tasha Ozera entered the room.

Lissa looked at me strangely as she could feel the anger that surged through me. I must have been pretty upset if she felt it through all the alcohol she'd consumed.

She had a guilty look on her face as she realized why I wasn't as pleased as everyone else to see Tasha.

_I'm sorry. I never realized that was why you didn't like her. _She said.

_Don't worry about it I'll be fine. _I said downing another cup of punch. Fine and Dandy if I had enough to drink. I thought bitterly.

"Congratulations Rose. You must be so happy to finally be done." She gushed.

I decided I'd have to play nice since I didn't want to appear childish in front of Dimitri and she was his friend and Christian's Aunt after all.

"Yes it's a big relief to finally have my Promise Mark." I said sweetly giving her a charming smile.

Lissa's jaw dropped as I allowed Tasha to hug me without grimacing.

_Wow Rose you have much more self control than I though. I guess Dimitri is really rubbing off on you._

_Well I wouldn't want to accidentally throw my drink on her or anything. _I replied sarcastically.

_Be nice it's just for a few days. She just came to see Christian graduate. He is her only family and all. _

_Yea yea I'll play nice. _

Although it was going to be much more for Dimitri than it was for Sparky.

As Tasha stepped moved across the room to greet Dimitri I let out the deep breath I'd been holding.

"Do you need some more punch Little Dhampir?" asked Adrian coming up behind me.

"Your Aura is Black as ever." He said softly.

I laughed. "I need something stronger than this. This punch doesn't pack much of a punch if you ask me."

"Well lucky for you I always carry a spare flask." He said with a grin pulling a silver flask out of his jacket pocket, unscrewed the top and passed it to me. I glanced around to make sure Dimitri wasn't watching and of course he wasn't because he was otherwise enthralled by Christian's skank of an Aunt. I took the opportunity and downed about half the flask in one gulp.

"Woah slow down there Little Dhampir that stuff is 100 proof." He said taking the flask from my hand.

"Don't worry I can hold my liquor." I said with a slight hiccup.

"I sure hope so." He replied.

Dimitri was still talking to that Bitch when my parents arrived. I was surprised to see them arrive together. They were actually being amicable. I wondered if that was a good thing or not.

Abe's guardians must have stayed outside.

"Rose, how much have you had to drink?" asked my mother sternly pulling me away from Adrian.

"Just a little." I lied rather poorly. She glared at me and was about to open her mouth when my father cut her off.

"Janine let her have her fun. She's worked hard to get here. Just relax for while and enjoy yourself. You're not on duty today." He chastised.

She softened slightly. " Just be careful and don't make a spectacle of yourself." She muttered under her breath.

"Show it to me Kiz." Said Abe ignoring my mother's rudeness.

"I turned around and lifted my long dark locks to reveal my Promise Mark. I was supposed to keep it bandaged, but people kept asking to see it so I'd taken in off earlier. It didn't really hurt since it was not my first mark and I was used to it by now.

"That is impressive Rosemarie." He said proudly as he noticed not only my promise mark, but my two single molnija marks and my battle star as well.

"Thanks Baba." I said my cheeks slightly rouged. It meant so much to me to have his approval. I didn't even know how much I'd craved parental acceptance and love until I'd met him.

His approach to parenting was slightly different from my mother's. Whereas she tried to keep her emotions in check most of the time, Abe put his out there freely for all to see. He didn't act ashamed that he had a Dhampir daughter. He told me more than once that he loved me and how important is was to him that we keep in touch. He'd also apologized profusely for not being around during my childhood. I'd forgiven him. He was very sincere in his affections.

My parents left together after about an hour.

"See you at graduation tomorrow." Said Abe kissing my cheek lightly.

"Goodnight Rosemarie." My mother called as they exited.

My friends were all talking and laughing and having a great time. I scanned the room for Dimitri, but I didn't see him. My heart nearly leapt into my throat as I felt two arms encircle my waist. I relaxed into his grip as he bent down to kiss my cheek softly.

"Are you having a good time Roza?" he asked.

"Yup." I told him hoping he didn't smell the alcohol on my breath.

"You have another big day tomorrow are you about ready to call it a night?" he asked.

"Sure let's go." I said.

I said goodbye to Lissa and hugged her tight. I told Eddie and Adrian I'd see them tomorrow. As Dimitri and I were leaving I waved to Christian and Tasha. She was smiling genuinely at me having noticed Dimitri's hands around my waist.

"Did you tell her about us?" I inquired as we walked back to the Dhampir dorms.

"She's known since before the attacks." He replied.

"What? How?"

"I told her that I was unable to leave with her to be her Guardian and she asked if it was because of you and I told her yes and confessed my feelings." He admitted.

I looked at him in awe. "You did?"

He nodded. "I wanted her to know that I'd always be her friend, but that it would never go any further than that because you are and always will be the love of my life."

I nearly fell over at his admission. He steadied me with his strong arms. "I'm going to have to give Ivashkov a piece of my mind for getting you drunk." He said gruffly.

"I'm not drunk Comrade." I said straightening myself up.

"Roza, I could smell the alcohol on you from across the room." He said disapprovingly.

He didn't sound too mad or anything. He opened the door to the dorms, lifted me off the ground and carried me bridal style up the stairs and into my room.

He set me down gently on my bed and moved towards the door.

"You're not staying?" I asked incredulously.

"You are drunk Roza." He said shaking his head.

"I'm not that drunk." I said getting up and blocking the door.

"Stay." I pleaded putting my arms around his neck and snuggling up against his finely chiseled chest.

I knew he wanted to. He was hesitating. I was going to get my way. "Please?" I begged giving him my sad puppy dog eyes that no man could ever resist. I bit my bottom lip every so slightly and that was enough to throw him over the edge.

"Alright you little con artist. I'll stay, but only to sleep." He relented leading me to the bed. He helped me remove my shoes and my dress and slipped one of the t-shirts I'd stolen from his room over my head. It smelled just like him.

I slipped into bed and he stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and joined me.

I was having a really pleasant dream about what life would be like at court with Dimitri and Lissa when suddenly I found myself back in the basement of the Strigoi house in Russia only this time I was awake.

"Well hello there Rosemarie." The blonde Strigoi drawled. "We thought that you were dead."

I tried to strike out, but I couldn't. I was chained to the wall. I struggled violently against my restraints but was unable to break them.

"How did you get into my dream?" I demanded forcefully.

"We have our ways." Said the woman stepping forward. She smacked me hard across the face. I was surprised to feel pain. Usually in dreams you sort of feel it, but this was so real.

"Rosemarie you've been very lucky so far what with not dying and all the last time we met, however now I'm even more interested in finding you and making you one of us." She sneered.

"It won't work! I won't let you near me ever again." I screeched.

The blonde Strigoi laughed sardonicly. "We are already closer than you think."

"Yes and this next time you won't have your Daddy or your Russian boyfriend around to save you." She snarled. I recoiled as she bared her fangs and brought them down towards my neck. I could feel the coolness of her breath on my skin.

"Don't worry about your little friend Vasilisa anymore. We've decided that having a Spirit using Strigoi will be most helpful." 

I gasped at her implication. "She won't have her powers if you change her." I cried trying to get them to reconsider.

"That's not what we've been told. Word on the street is that the last Spirit user that was turned retains their Moroi magics."

How can they possibly know about that? Spirit wasn't widely known among Moroi and Dhampir how did Strigoi have so much information?

"We will enjoy having Vasilissa as one of us. I hear her boyfriend Ozera is already on the verge joining us just like his parents." She remarked snidely.

"You don't know anything about Christian Ozera. If you did you'd know that he would never become one of you. He fought side by side with me twice destroying your kind. He's killed more Strigoi than some Guardian's I've known." I spat a little shocked to be defending Christian so vehemently.

"Don't get smart with me you little Bitch." She roared lunging at me. She hit me hard several times. The pain was excruciating. I was beginning to think that this may not be a dream after all.

I cried out as she continued to strike me brutally until I felt myself being drug back into a deep sleep.

**Uh oh Strigoi!!! Are they real or is she dreaming? If they are real how did they get there? Wake up Rose!! **


	39. Chapter 39: When Dreams Become Reality

**Chapter 39: When Dreams Become Reality**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Richelle Mead does and let me say I'm pretty ticked off at her after Spirit Bound!**

**So here's where things get more complicated. Now I won't give specifics about Spirit Bound in case you haven't read it or finished it yet, but let me tell you I have always been majority Team Dimitri, but after Spirit Bound I am so switching to Team Adrian. Let me just tell you I hate Dimitri in this book grr.... Do you agree with me? Did anyone else find something that went down between a certain spirit user and our main character a little scary? I know I never expected that from the author. Anyways enough rambling. Please enjoy just know that I have written this to be a Dimitri and Rose story, but may have to change some things if I can't get over my Dimitri hatred soon. =(**

DPOV

Tonight had been interesting. The past few days had actually been draining. First, there was Abe Mazur's presence. It was no secret that I didn't care for the man, but alas as he was Rose's father I tried hard to be polite and keep up my Guardian façade. Then there was Ivashkov who got on my nerves to say the least. I could just murder him for plying her with liquor. I'd given up trying to persuade Roza to stay away from him.

I figured the more I protested their friendship the more she would fight me on it. The most uncomfortable situation was when Tasha showed up last night at Rose and Eddie's party. I could see Rose flinch at the sound of Tasha's voice. I knew that she was more than displeased to have her as she had made it well known that she had romantic feelings towards me earlier in the year. Although to my utter amazement my Roza managed to keep her cool throughout the night. She did however imbibe far more alcohol than she usually did. It seemed that she was drinking to put herself more at ease with the situation. She was actually becoming rather tipsy so I convinced her to leave the party.

When we made it back to her room my intention was the leave her there alone and have a few words with Tasha before the ceremony tomorrow. She had not been informed that I would no longer be the Princess's Guardian and I wanted to fill her in on the change of plans since it would directly affect her and Christian. That was what I was going to do until Roza tricked me into staying with her.

Hell who am I kidding? I had hoped she would ask me to stay even though she was far too intoxicated for me to be intimate with her. I always wanted her in my arms. On the way to her room I'd told her that Tasha knew about us and she seemed surprised that I'd told Tasha about our love long before I'd even told Roza. It seemed to make her happy and pacify her on the whole situation though. That was a good thing because with the new arrangements I was able to work out at Court they would be seeing quite a bit more of each other. It would help for them to get along.

I held Roza close to my body. It felt right having her sleeping peacefully by my side. I was so very proud of her. She had passed her trials with flying colors and with by far the most strategic and well laid out fighting style. Her time was the fastest as well. My heart swelled with pride when she pinned me. Some may have thought I held back because I loved her, but it was for that reason that I had put everything I had into that fight. I wanted her to know that she was going to make it out there in the real world with real Strigoi. Some of her confidence had been taken when she had been kidnapped and held hostage in Russia. I wanted her to succeed with no unfair advantages. When she took me out of the fight I knew I'd succeeded in my mission to make her a fierce warrior.

I lie awake for a while just thinking about what our lives would be like together in two days time when we went to live at the Royal Court. I was able to pull some strings and with the help of the Princess's name I was able to secure a very nice place for all of us to live while we were there. I am surprised that the Queen had been so accommodating, but I suspected that had more to do with the recent knowledge that Abe Mazur had been in contact with his daughter. I don't know why the Queen feared him, but it was rumored that they had a sordid past which of course did not surprise me at all.

I was very excited about Moroi graduation tomorrow. I couldn't wait for Roza to find out the good news. I was able to secure a position as Christian Ozera's Guardian. The Ozera's were left unprotected because of the bad blood between them and the other royals caused by Christian's parents willingly turning Strigoi. I checked and as of a few weeks ago there were no plans to assign him a Guardian at Moroi graduation. So when I willingly volunteered for the position the Queen was unable to deny my request without making herself look foolish. I chuckled to myself as I remembered the look on the old bat's face when I'd made my suggestion. She looked as if she were utterly constipated and as if it were completely beyond her realm of comprehension as to why anyone would give up being in a highly respected position as Guardian to the Dragomir Princess to slum it as Guardian to the tainted blood of the Ozeras. It was frustrating how little compassion and regard she had for Dhampirs, non royal Moroi and those who were not in her inner social network.

Lissa and Christian would be living together as per their request in a beautiful set of townhouses in a very secluded section of the Royal Court. It was highly coveted and there just happen to be two openings. I had to admit that it was underhanded of me to use the Princess's title as the last Dragomir to secure the property, however I knew it would please both Rose and the Princess that not only would we be in the best location, but that Rose and I would be living in the adjoining townhouse which was slightly smaller, but very similar to theirs.

These houses were reserved for the utmost of royalty and their guardians. They were spacious, had large gardens and a swimming pool in between in a small courtyard. They were set back from the rest of the property giving the illusion that they were in a quaint neighborhood. They even had their own guarded entrance through the back of the Court. There were only three other groups of houses like ours and they were spread out over twelve acres of land. They were set in groups of three. The only downside to the living situation is that the owner of the third house happened to be none other than Lord "Drunk off his Ass" Adrian Ivashkov.

Although I wasn't fond of him and he annoyed me beyond words and I hated him for putting the moves on Roza all the time the girls would be more than happy to have him around. And as far as Royals go we could have done way worse than living next door to a Sprit using drunk. Each of the two houses on the end belonging to the Royal Moroi would have five bedrooms each with two master suites instead of one like the middle house and they had extra bathing facilities as well as a larger living space and foyer. Ours would have three bedrooms and only one of them would be a Master Suite. What more could we want?

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remembered was waking up to a blood curdling scream coming from Roza. I sat up and flipped on the lights. She was thrashing violently and her face was contorted in fear and anger. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. This must be one hell of a nightmare I thought as I started to shake her shoulders to try and wake her.

"Roza, wake up." I commanded shaking her lightly. She didn't awaken she only thrashed harder. I regarded her more closely and saw that not only was she crying, but there were bruises beginning to form all over her body. Blood was coming from her nose and dripping down her forehead from a large gash.

I frantically tried waking her again. I was shouting at her to wake-up on the top of my lungs, but she didn't even flinch at my words. I struggled to pull on my pants and shirt.

I quickly opened my cell phone and called Janine. She and Abe were on their way. I was about to call the Princess when she and Ozera burst through the door. Christian was holding Lissa tightly against his body. They were both in their night clothes. The princess was crying out in pain.

"Rose, oh Rose." She groaned. "Stop hurting her." She shrieked. Christian set her down in the armchair.

"She woke up about a half an hour ago screaming at the top of her lungs. She said it feels like she is being beaten with some sort of weapon. She didn't realize at first that she was not the one being hit. She thinks it is Rose." Said Christian breathing heavily. He looked distraught.

"Yes it is Rose, but I don't know how. She is asleep and I am unable to wake her." I replied tensely.

As I looked at the state of the Princess a thought came to me.  
"Wait why is Lissa feeling what Rose is feeling? I thought the bond was one way?" I looked at Lissa for clarification.

"Uh see the thing is…" she stammered unable to look me in the eye.

"Ever since Russia Lissa has been getting sucked into Rose's head. She can feel everything Rose feels." Christian blurted out.

"What? Why didn't she tell me?" I snapped.

"Dimitri this isn't the time." Cried Lissa writhing in pain.

I started to pace. "Rose was still crying out and thrashing around."

"Lissa have you tried to get into her head?" I asked. She was doing better than Rose. She was not bleeding or bruised, but she was still in pain.

"I can't. Something is blocking me." She said fighting tears.

It had been less than five minutes when Janine, Abe and his Guardian's came flying through the door.

Abe took one look at Rose and then looked at me accusingly.

"What did you do to her?" he barked menacingly. His guardians were at his side ready to break my kneecaps on command.

I couldn't believe this. I would never hurt Roza. Why would he think I had anything to do with it? I was just about to open my mouth to protest his accusation, but Janine came to my rescue.

"He didn't do anything Abe. Calm down." Said Janine surprisingly calm.

"Look it is affecting the Princess as well and it is still going on whatever it is." She said glancing at Lissa.

"Did anyone try and wake her?" asked Abe.

"Yes I have tried repeatedly, but it can't be done." I replied wearily.

I sat down next to Rose placing a cool washcloth over her open wound. I dabbed the blood.

"Please wake up my love." I said to her in Russian.

"Should we take her to the infirmary?" asked Christian.

"I don't know maybe?" I questioned.

"Don't take her anywhere." Came a voice from the hall. Ivashkov entered the room swiftly. He looked disheveled, but had normal clothing on.

"What are you doing here?" I growled. I was not happy that someone had called him over.

"I am here because I saw some large amounts of spirit shining brightly outside the window and I was curious as to what was going on." He looked over at her assessing her condition for a moment.

"Someone is dream walking her and since it isn't me. I am slightly concerned." He said coherently his drunkenness from earlier having worn off.

"How do you know someone is dream walking her?" asked Janine.

"Because it emits a certain aura and I can see it all around her." He said concerned.

He went over and placed his hand across Rose's forehead.

"I am going to try and go in after her." He said. "Whoever is doing this to her is obviously holding her there. That takes a great effort and even I am not experienced enough to pull that off."

"Are you sure it is safe?" groaned Lissa weakly.

"No I am not sure, but it isn't like there is an endless supply of options in this case. There is no how to book when it comes to Spirit." He sounded agitated.

He gently lay down next to Roza. I took her hand in mine. I didn't like him being so close, but damn him he had a point.

He closed his eyes and then we had to wait.

**Please Review and PM me if you have any thoughts on Spirit Bound you'd care to share I am dying to know what everyone else thought. **


	40. Chapter 40: Adrian to the Rescue

**Chapter 40: Adrian to the Rescue**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy if I did a certain Russian would be on my hit list. **

**Author's Note: I will keep this a Dimitri and Rose story because people seem to want that. Also my fantasy Dimitri is so much better than the real thing. Plus I already have a lot more chapters written and I wouldn't be able to change it without changing most of them so I hope that pleases everyone. I still hate Dimitri though. **

APOV

I woke up with a start. Something felt off. I went to the window and stared across campus. To my utter amazement there was a huge amount of Sprit being emitted from the Dhampir dormitory. It looked to be coming directly from Rose's window. I knew exactly which one was hers since I had frequently stared at it willing her silently to feel for me what I did for her. Well that was before I met Viktoria. I tried Lissa's cell number to see if they were practicing anything interesting. Maybe I could join them, however I got sent right to voicemail. I glanced at the clock. It was the middle of the night. Why would they be practicing now? Something was wrong. I could feel it.

I put on some clothes and nearly ran all the way to the Dhampir dorms. I used compulsion on the clerk at the desk. I didn't have time for lengthy explanations. When I reached Rose's room the door was ajar.

"Should we take her to the infirmary?" asked Christian.

I looked inside and found not only Christian, but Rose's parents, Abe's guardians and Dimitri hovering around a bruised and bloody Rose.

"No don't take her anywhere." I said entering the room.

I took in her Aura. She was asleep and someone was in there with her. I could see the effects of whomever was dream walking her. They were holding her there and they were very powerful.

What are you doing here?" growled Belikov. I gave him a dirty look. He really needed to learn that he wasn' t the only one who cared about and loved Rose.

"I am here because I saw some large amounts of spirit shining brightly outside the window and I was curious as to what was going on."

"Someone is dream walking her and since it isn't me. I am slightly concerned." I explained.

"How do you know someone is dream walking her?" asked Janine.

"Because it emits a certain aura and I can see it all around her."

I went over and placed my hand across Rose's forehead. I was quite worried about her. She looked so broken and there was a lot of blood. I'd never seen any indication that something that happened in a dream could have reprecussions in real life? Rose had once punched me really hard when I had dream walked her against her will and while I felt a slight impact in the dream it hadn't carried over into reality. I would have had one nasty black eye if it had. I didn't like what I was about to do, but I knew I was the only one who could even try to help her at this point.

"I am going to try and go in after her." I said. "Whoever is doing this to her is obviously holding her there. That takes a great effort and even I am not experienced enough to pull that off." I said dryly Rose always managed to pull herself from my dreams when she wanted to.

"Are you sure it is safe?" Groaned Lissa weakly. I hadn't noticed her lying in the armchair she looked just terrible. She must be feeling what Rose is feeling.

"No I am not sure, but it isn't like there is an endless supply of options in this case. There is no how to book when it comes to Spirit." I spat agitated. I was really worried about Rose. She didn't look good. I was definitely not sure that it was safe and I didn't know if once I got in I'd be able to get out, but I couldn't leave her there.

I gently lay down next to Rose. I closed my eyes.

As I adjusted to the darkness that enveloped her I found that it was difficult to pin point where she was. Usually all I had to do was think of her and it would bring me to her dreams. It had become increasingly easier to slip into someone's subconscious when you did it often. Something or someone was trying to keep me out. While the rational part of me figured there had to be other Spirit users out there, part of me had never thought that they'd use it for evil. Maybe that made me naïve.

I pushed through the haze with my mind. It was difficult and I could feel the toll it was taking on me already. I had to be strong for Rose though so I kept pushing. I was finally able to see more clearly. Rose was chained to a wall. It was the basement of the Strigoi house where she had been kept in Russia. There were two Strigoi there with her one male and one female. Neither of them were the Spirit user keeping her here, but they were obviously the ones beating her.

"Hey. Stop that." I called out hoping to distract them. It wasn't the most original plan I admit, but it was the only one I had right now. I used my ability and sure enough as soon as they were distracted I was able to manipulate the dream. I undid Rose's restraints with my mind and instead focused on chaining the Strigoi to the wall in her place. I was as surprised as they were when it actually worked.

I rushed forward and caught Rose as she fell to the ground.

"Little Dhampir!" I called out to her. "Are you alright?"

"Adrian?" she questioned groggily fighting through the blackness that consumed her.

"Shh it's okay Little Dhampir. I am here and we are leaving." I told her stroking her hair lightly. I really hoped that I'd be able to pull us out of this before the Spirit user whoever it was caught on to what I was doing.

She looked worse in the dream than she did in real life.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked.

"Yes Rose you are dreaming. Now hold on we are leaving." I told her.

Even though she was dreaming I knew that in reality she would feel much more pain once I pulled her from the dream.

I concentrated hard on pulling her out of the dream with me, but it seemed that someone was trying to keep her there.

"Let her go." I screamed into the darkness.

"Take her this time." Said an eerily familiar voice, but just know that when the time is right we will come for her and Vasilisa. Nothing will stop us." Said the voice.

The next thing I knew I was shooting up out of bed. I found that everyone in the room was staring at me and Rose.

Beside me Rose started whimpering in pain as she slowly opened her eyes.

"She's going to need to be healed." I said exhaustedly rolling off the bed and collapsing in the corner.

As if on cue. Lissa stepped forward and begun to heal Rose.

LPOV

I woke screaming. It felt like someone was delivering blows to my body with a sledgehammer.

"Christian." I shrieked. "Oh my God. The pain."

"Liss what is it? What's the matter?" he asked sleepily from beside me.

"Something is hitting me." I cried wincing as I felt another sharp blow to the side of my head. The pain was unbearable.

He turned on the lights. His eyes frantically searched the room for danger.

"Liss there's no one here, but us."

"Nooooooo!" I screeched. "Stop them from hitting me. Please it hurts so bad."

"Liss there's no one here. I don't understand." He cried out in a panicked voice.

"Rose, oh no someone is hurting Rose." I realized.

I tried to find her and slip into her mind, but I couldn't. It was just blackness.

"Christian we need to find Rose." I cried. "Take me to her room."

He lifted me up and sprinted across the lawn to the Dhampir dorms.

As we burst through the door to Rose's room I saw Dimitri hunched over a still sleeping Rose. She was thrashing and crying out and she was full of contusions and I could smell that she was bleeding.

"Rose, oh Rose." I groaned. "Stop hurting her." I shrieked. Christian set me down in the armchair.

"She woke up about a half an hour ago screaming at the top of her lungs. She said it feels like she is being beaten with some sort of weapon. She didn't realize at first that she was not the one being hit. She thinks it is Rose." Christian explained to Dimitri.

"Yes it is Rose, but I don't know how. She is asleep and I am unable to wake her." replied Dimitri tensely.

He looked at me confused. Oh Crap he doesn't know about the bond being two ways. Rose is going to be pissed.

"Wait why is Lissa feeling what Rose is feeling? I thought the bond was one way?" He looked at me curiously.

"Uh see the thing is…" I stammered looking away. I so did not want to be the one to tell him.

"Ever since Russia Lissa has been getting sucked into Rose's head and she can feel what Rose feels." Christian blurted out.

"What? Why didn't she tell me?" He snapped.

"Dimitri this isn't the time." I cried as I felt another wave of pain ripple through my body.

He was pacing. "Rose was still crying out and thrashing around."

"Lissa have you tried to get into her head?" he asked.

"I can't. Something is blocking me." I said fighting the tears that threatened to come out.

It had been less than five minutes since Christian and I arrived when Janine, Abe and his guardian's came flying through the door.

Abe took one look at Rose and then looked at Dimitri accusingly.

"What did you do to her?" he barked menacingly. His guardians were with him ready to attack anyone who made a false move. Why would he think Dimitri did this to Rose? Did they not like each other? I was in too much pain to consider it any further.

"He didn't do anything Abe. Calm down." Said Rose's mother.

"Look it is affecting the Princess as well and it is still going on whatever it is." She said glancing at me.

"Did anyone try and wake her?" asked Abe.

"Yes I have tried repeatedly, but it can't be done." replied Dimitri wearily. He looked so worried.

He sat down next to Rose and cleaned her wound gently with a cloth. He took such good care of her. She was so lucky to have found him.

"Please wake up my love." He said to her in Russian.

"Should we take her to the infirmary?" asked Christian.

"I don't know maybe?" Dimitri questioned unable to make up his mind.

"Don't take her anywhere." Came a voice from the hall. Adrian entered the room swiftly.

"What are you doing here?" Dimitri growled obviously not pleased that Adrian was here.

"I am here because I saw some large amounts of spirit shining brightly outside the window and I was curious as to what was going on." He looked over at her assessing her condition for a moment.

"Someone is dream walking her and since it isn't me. I am slightly concerned." He said

"How do you know someone is dream walking her?" asked Janine. She still wasn't fully up to speed on all the Spirit powers.

"Because it emits a certain aura and I can see it all around her." He said concerned.

He went over and placed his hand across Rose's forehead.

"I am going to try and go in after her." He said. "Whomever is doing this to her is obviously holding her there. That takes a great effort and even I am not experienced enough to pull that off."

"Are you sure it is safe?" I asked. I didn't want him to make it worse for her.

"No I am not sure, but it isn't like there is an endless supply of options in this case. There is no how to book when it comes to Spirit." He sounded agitated. I didn't blame him. He loved Rose as much as Dimitri and I did.

He gently lay down next to Rose and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile Abe told his guardians that they should wait outside as they were not needed at the moment. He did glare at Dimitri though. I wondered what was going on between the two of them. Adrian had been asleep only about fifteen minutes when the beating stopped. I was able to breathe again. I was still in a lot of pain, but I was able to block most of it out now that the trauma had ceased.

"Lissa what's happening?" asked Christian coming to my side. "Are you feeling better? Has it stopped?"

"It has stopped, I can still feel she is in pain, but I can block it better now." I explained.

"Adrian must be with her."

Rose's mom looked tense and her Dad looked like he was going to murder someone.

Abe kicked the door to the closet hard. "Whoever is doing this to her is going to pay." He growled.

"Abe calm down. We don't know what's going on yet. She's going to be okay. Weird things like this are not uncommon where Rose is concerned or so I've been told." Janine said putting her hand on his shoulder.

He tensed, but then allowed himself to relax a little. The two of them had an odd sort of relationship.

Dimitri had a pained expression on his face as he watched the rise and fall of Rose's chest as she struggled for breath.

He kept muttering under his breath in Russian.

Suddenly Adrian sat straight up in bed. He rubbed his head and looked over at Rose who was starting to stir.

"She's going to need to be healed." He said. He looked terribly exhausted.

I quickly stood and moved over to Rose. I put my hand on her and began to heal.

**Who do you think is working with the Strigoi? Also next chapter is going to involve some confessions on Rose's part. You don't want to miss it when the secrets start to spill. Please Review and maybe just maybe I'll consider forgiving Dimitri a little… **


	41. Chapter 41: No More Lies Rosemarie

**Chapter 41: Group Intervention **

**Disclaimer: I Do Not own Vampire Academy or its characters. **

**Here's what she should have told them at the beginning, but was afraid to. I hope you like. **

RPOV

I felt the familiar rush of hot then cold that I usually felt when Lissa was healing something. I realized that I was not alone and that the person being healed was me. I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes. I was still in my room, but instead of it being just me and Dimitri I looked into the worried eyes of Lissa, then Christian, Adrian, my mother and Abe. They were all staring at me with strange looks on their faces. But worst of all was the look on Dimitri's face. He looked positively sick with worry. When Lissa was finished Dimitri was at my side immediately.

"Roza what happened? Are you alright?" he asked softly caressing my face with his large warm hands. I felt confused. I remembered being at the party, Tasha, lots of alcohol, Dimitri lying next to me in bed and then…

"Ohhhhh." I gasped as I recalled the Strigoi from my dream.

"Roza? What is it? Who did this to you?" he asked.

"I don't remember." I lied.

Adrian shot me a look. He knew I was lying and most likely Dimitri did too. I didn't want to discuss this with Lissa around.

"Rosemarie are you sure you don't remember anything?" asked Abe. I knew by the tone in his voice that he could see right through my lies.

I looked around. I really didn't want them to worry and I definitely didn't want them to know about the Strigoi blood that I was forced to drink in Russia. Still they had a right to know. I was at a loss of what to do. I gave Dimitri a pleading look asking him silently to drop it for now. He shook his head at me.

"Not this time Roza." He said sadly.

"If she won't tell us then you will." Snarled Abe grabbing Adrian by the back of the neck and forcing him against a wall. He was still physically and mentally drained from forcing us out of my dream and I could see the fear in his eyes as my father threatened him.

"Abe let him down from there." Cried my mother. Abe as usual brushed her off. His guardians entered the room. I saw Dimitri tense as if ready to defend Adrian if anything were to happen.

"Baba stop." I cried jumping up, but he didn't stop and Adrian looked really freaked out.

"I don't know that much. There were two Strigoi there one male, one female. They were assaulting Rose. They had her chained to the wall. Neither of them were the person keeping her in the dream though. They didn't have that kind of power. There was a voice as we left. It sounded vaguely familiar. It said that they were coming for Rose and Lissa soon. Whoever it was had a lot of control." Gasped Adrian.

My father released him and he fell to the ground in a heap. Lissa was at his side in a flash helping him into a chair.

"Rosemarie. You will tell us the rest. "He barked at me.

Everyone turned and looked at me. I gulped and took a deep breath.

"Those were the Strigoi who kidnapped me and held me prisoner in Russia." I explained my voice was wavering.

"They thought they killed me, but I survived."  
"What do they want?" asked Abe seeming more than a little agitated.

I hadn't been truly afraid of him until now. The look in his eyes was menacing.

"To turn me and get to Lissa." I admitted finally.

"Why didn't they turn you while they had you?" he asked his voice softening.

I laughed nervously. I didn't want to see the way they'd look at me when they knew. I needed to tell them and it had to be now. Abe wasn't going to take I don't know as a valid response and I knew from the look on Dimitri's face that this time he would not let this go unanswered.

I looked at my friends and my family and Dimitri all standing around waiting for my response. Adrian gave me an encouraging smile. He already knew and he didn't judge me for it. I didn't know if that would be the same with the rest. Would they be afraid of me? Was I part Strigoi? Would they worry that I would turn at any time? Would they be disgusted with me for not stopping them? A million questions flashed through my mind as my eyes met Dimitri's. They shown compassion, but also underlying apprehension for what I was about to say. His tight smile was slightly reassuring.

"Abe can you ask your Guardians to leave?" I asked quietly.

He motioned for them to go.

_Rose everything is going to be okay. Just tell us what happened in Russia. We care about you and if you or I is in danger we need help. Please don't keep things from me. I hate when you shut me out it hurts. _

_You don't understand. You won't feel the same about me when you know. _

_I will always love you no matter what. _

She came over and sat next to me.

I sucked in a breath of air.

"When they held me captive in that basement the woman drained me of most of my blood." I began shakily tears starting to form in my eyes.

Adrian crossed the room and took my hand in his. He squeezed it tight giving me the will to continue.

Dimitri had his fists clenched at his side and his guardian mask in place. This was going to be tough for him to hear and even worse that Adrian already knew.

"While I was unconscious she forced me to drink from her." I managed. The tears that threatened to fall spilled out uncontrollably as I continued. I didn't dare look at their faces. I could feel Lissa's shock through the bond.

"When I came to I couldn't move or speak and I heard them talking about me and how I should have awakened, but I didn't. They thought I was dead, so they left me there." By now I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.

I heard the gasps from my family and friends.

Adrian had taken me into his arms and had been holding me tightly as I continued to sob, but released me gently into Dimitri's strong embrace.

"Roza, why didn't you tell me?" he asked stroking my hair trying to calm me down.

"Because I didn't want you to be disgusted by me. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I don't know why I didn't turn. I didn't want to drink from her. I was unconscious you have to believe me" I gasped still sobbing.

_Oh Rose you know that it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. _

I could feel Lissa's sympathy and compassion through the bond. That only made me cry harder.

"Rose no one here is going to judge you. What happened wasn't your fault and we are not disgusted or afraid of you." Said Christian.

I looked up from Dimitri's chest and smiled gratefully at him. I knew he understood exactly how I was feeling.

"Thanks Chris. That really means a lot to me."

He smiled. "Hey Rose you called me Chris." He remarked. "You're not going all soft on me now are you?" he asked trying to lighten the mood.

I let out a small chuckle. "Nah don't worry Sparky."

"Roza he is right it was not your fault. Why did you hide it from me? Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" he asked sincerely.

"No. I'm sorry. I just didn't want anyone to know." I felt so ashamed. He was looking at me with so much love and compassion in his eyes. I felt so awful that I'd lied to him so much these past few weeks.

I looked over at my mother. She has tears in her eyes and she was leaning against Abe's shoulder. He was softly stroking her back in comfort. His face was also colored with sadness.

"Well let's let Rose and Dimtri alone for a while. We can all meet up tomorrow after graduation to discuss the rest." My mother said trying to regain her composure.

"Everyone agreed to go back to sleep."

"Goodnight Little Dhampir. If you need me I'm only a phone call away." Said Adrian kissing my forehead.

Christian and Lissa followed and my mother dragged Abe out behind her.

Dimitri and I were alone. I flinched waiting for his wrath.

"Why are you making that face?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for you to yell at me." I said cautiously.

"Are you afraid of me Rose?"

"No of course not."

"I'm not going to yell at you Roza. I just want you to be honest and tell me everything. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Okay then I'm going to ask and you are going to tell and don't leave anything out." He said firmly

I nodded in agreement. He pulled my desk chair over towards the bed and sat down facing me. He took my hands in his.

I told him everything. I told him about Adrian and our theory about him healing me in the dream. I told him about what Yeva said to me. We came to the conclusion that I wasn't able to be turned because I you couldn't awaken what was already dead. To turn Strigoi you must be somewhat alive and since I walked among the shadows that was enough to stop the change.

He told me how much I'd hurt him by telling Adrian everything and shutting him out. For that I was truly ashamed.

"Why didn't you tell me about Lissa?" he asked.

I blushed a little. "I didn't want you to be nervous that she might be with us when we you know."

He paled a little. "She can do that?" he asked.

"She was there the night we spent together in Russia. She got sucked into my head. That is how we figured out the bond was both ways now." I replied sheepishly. He was so going to freak.

"I see so was that what all that business about Ivashkov and the orgy was about in the bathroom that morning?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

"You heard that?" I squeaked.

"I did." He said looking to me for an explanation.

"Lissa was afraid that because Adrian helped heal me that he would be able to get into our heads as well. I told her that it wasn't likely because I had not been dead when they healed me."

He laughed a little. "Well let's be thankful for that at least." He said.

I was still a little nervous about how he was taking the whole blood thing.

"Are you afraid I will turn Strigoi?" I asked him. We were lying together in bed and he was stroking my hair.

"No of course not. You are very special Roza." He whispered pulling me closer to him. My breath hitched as he brought his soft lips to mine. He kissed me with such love and passion. Every worry I'd ever had flew out of my mind as he showed me without a doubt that he was not disgusted or afraid of me in any way.

Afterwards I lie awake in his arms. I was not able to shut out the little voice in my head that was telling me things were going to get worse before they got better.

"Go to sleep maya krasaveetsa." He whispered soothingly in my ear.

"I'm afraid Comrade."

"Don't worry. I will always be here to save you." He said cradling me against his warm muscular body.

I fought sleep as long as I could, but eventually succumbed.

**Please Review! **


	42. Chapter 42: An Ugly Llama?

**Chapter 42: An Ugly Llama?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its Characters.**

**This chapter is just a little fluffy filler. Next Chapter will be graduation and a bunch of fun surprises. Enjoy some Rose and Lissa time. **

**Also on a personal note: Yay the Chicago BlackHawks won the Western Confrence yesterday WOO WOO! **

**Also Maya Krasaveetsa means my beauty in Russian! **

DPOV

My poor Roza. She had been afraid to tell me this whole time. She thought I would be disgusted by her. As I listened to her tell me about Ivashkov and how he healed her I couldn't help but think how much I owed him. He had saved the love of my life when I was powerless to do so myself. I was also extremely hurt and jealous that she had confided all her secrets in him and subsequently shut me out of her life in the process. I could see her regret and I let her know she was already forgiven. I didn't want her to feel worse that she already did.

As for the bond I was not too happy that the princess would be invading our private moments, but I was definitely not going to push Roza away because of it. She was in such a fragile state right now that I couldn't afford to waste my time worrying about such trivial matters. I needed to be on high alert. Someone possibly a former spirit user was after my Roza and the Princess who was not going to be my charge as of tomorrow, but who I would protect forever if that meant keeping my Roza safe and happy.

In fact having a supernatural low jack on each of them was going to be useful. I was slightly concerned though that if their powers grew after this healing what would become of Rose in the future if she continued to receive spiritual healings. Would she go crazy like St. Vladimir's Anna? It was a lot to think about. She startled me out of my reverie by asking me the most ridiculous question.

"Are you afraid I will turn Strigoi?" she asked me. I could see the fear in her eyes.

"No of course not. You are very special Roza." I told her. I could see she was unsure so I convinced her that she could never disgust me the only way I knew how. I pulled her close to me and made love to her.

She was restless after that. I could feel the tension in her body as she lay next to me.

"Go to sleep maya krasaveetsa." I said calling her my beauty in Russian.

"I'm afraid Comrade." She whispered nearly inaudibly.

"Don't worry. I will always be there to save you." I pulled her closer enveloping her tiny frame in my arms.

She finally drifted off and I along with her.

"Roza wake up. It's graduation day." I said gently shaking her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me.

"Morning Comrade." She grinned stretching her arms above her head.

"Dobre utra lubimaya moya." I greeted her.

"That sounded romantic, but for all I know you could have called me an ugly llama." She said with a snort.

"Now why would I call you that?"

"Dunno. Because I can't understand you and you could call me anything you want and I'd never know." She griped.

I laughed. "I called you my love." I told her. She smiled brightly at that.

"There are a few things I need to do before graduation and I know the Princess is going to want you to get ready with her so I will leave you to that."

"I'll miss you." She said leaning forward and laying her hand on my bare chest.

"And I'll be counting the seconds until I see you walk down that graduation aisle in your cap and gown."

"Ugh! Those faschist bastards. Those gowns are so damn ugly." She whined.

"Language Roza." I reminded her shaking my head.

"Whatever Comrade. If you'd just allow me a few swears in Russian you wouldn't have to worry about people understanding me." She said with a wink.

"I thought Viktoria was taking care of that for you." I asked with a devlish grin.

She pouted. "She was until some big bad Russian Guardian threatened her."

"Wow do I know this big bad Russian?" I asked teasing her.

" I don't know, but he's an excellent lover." She replied with a smirk.

"Good to know." I replied. "Now I have to go. Stay out of trouble until after the ceremony." I kissed her goodbye and made my way back to my room to get ready.

LPOV

Wow last night was definitely not one I would ever forget. I can't believe that Rose didn't tell me that they tried to turn her. It hurts that she didn't trust me. I could tell by the look on his face and the way he was comforting her that Adrian knew. How could she tell him and not me? Why would she tell him and not Dimitri?

I lay awake most of the night worrying about her. I didn't know how the Strigoi managed to get into her dream and keep her there, but more importantly how were they able to cause such bodily harm to her if it was a dream. Rose told me she once socked Adrian right in the face while he was dream walking her and it hadn't hurt at all in fact he had laughed at her which only fueled her anger of course. Sometimes I wondered about those two. I knew she loved Dimitri, but I could see the bond that she and Adrian had. It wasn't exactly true love on her part at least, but she loved him. I could see it on the rare chance I could get a hold on her Aura for longer than a few seconds.

I'd been practicing for months and I was getting better at Auras. I still couldn't dream walk and it was starting to royally tick me off that Adrian could heal, but I couldn't master his ability. I sighed and rolled over in bed. It was time to get up and after having to live through another one of Rose and Dimitri's sexual encounters last night I was more than a little tired.

_Rose! _

_Yes?_

_Are you decent?_

_Yes! Why do you ask? _

_No reason._

_You were there weren't you?_

_If I said no would you believe me? _

_No! _

_Well then Yes._

_Damn! _

_Come over and get ready with me. I want to fix your hair and make-up._

_Okay, just let me shower and I'll get my stuff together. Be over in a bit._

I smiled to myself. I loved having my own private connection to Rose. I have no family left and today was going to be tough to get through. I had always thought that it would be a sad day for Rose because he parents would not be here and she would be giving up everything to guard me. Instead Rose's parents were both here and mine were dead. She had Dimitri and Adrian and she didn't know it yet and I'd been trying to keep it a secret, but Abe had a big graduation surprise for her and the whole Belikov family was coming to the ceremony today and accompanying us to Court for a few weeks to spend time with Rose and Dimitri. She was going to be so excited. I couldn't wait to give her the gift I bought her for graduation. She was going to die. Well not literally since she already died, but still she was going to flip out.

I reached into my closet and pulled out two garment bags. I knew Rose hadn't thought of what she was wearing with all the drama going on so I took the liberty of doing a little online shopping and picking out this fierce dress I knew she's look totally hot in. I myself was wearing a lilac colored strapless dress that was simple. It fell gracefully to my knees. I was going to wear the tiara that was a Dragomir family heirloom. Since I was the only one left it belonged to me as did every other Dragomir house, bank account and heirloom. If people only knew that all the money and things in the world could not buy you a family. I thought sighing heavily. I glanced at my watch.

_Rose get your butt in here now. I'm losing my patients._

_Yea yea I'm here let me in_

I opened the door and there she was. She had two cups of coffee and a small bag with her. I'd already been to the feeders, but I could definitely go for the chocolate croissant I knew was in that bag. I couldn't wait for us to be at Court living our new lives. I was so grateful that Rose and I would be together forever.

**Please Review I know it was short, but next chapter is Moroi Graduation! Do you think Rose is going to be assigned as Lissa's Guardian? If not what do you think she will do? Hopefully she won't murder the Queen! Haha! **


	43. Chapter 43: Moroi Graduation

**Chapter 43: Moroi Graduation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plotline. **

**Here is Moroi Graduation. First you will see it through Janine's POV and then Christians. I hope you like it. I felt Sparky needed to be heard for once. **

**Also I just wrote a first draft of the end of this story…Yea it makes me sad too but don't worry there are a lot of chapters left before that happens. I think I'm satisfied with my rough draft, but we shall see. **

JPOV

I watched from the bleachers as the graduates processed down the aisle to pomp and circumstance. I was sitting in the parents section in civilian clothing. Abe had insisted that I attend as Rose's mother and not as a Guardian. I was slightly uncomfortable, but what I wouldn't do for this man after all these years. He was sitting next to me in his traditional flashy attire beaming with pride as he watched Rose walk down the aisle next to her classmates.

I could see how easily he'd won Rose's heart over even after being absent from her life for eighteen years. I was extremely jealous of their relationship. I knew in my heart though that it was my fault that Rose and I weren't close. In my own stupidity and naivety I had left her to be raised by strangers and kept her father away from her. Surprisingly though she and I were getting along for the first time in I can't remember how long. It wasn't as if I thought Abe would be a terrible father. In fact it was the opposite. I hadn't planned on becoming pregnant and I knew that if I stayed with Abe and married him that my life would completely change. I would have become one of those Dhampir women who ran off to raise her child in some commune or so people would think. Even though he seemed devoted to me and the idea of raising our child together in the back of my mind I was always afraid that years later he would regret it or leave, or cheat. Whatever the case I was a chicken and now I was dealing with the consequences. If I'd raised Rose with Abe they'd be inseparable I just knew it. Even after being apart all these years they were thick as thieves. They were so much alike it was uncanny.

As each of the Moroi students were called their Guardians were called off as well. Princess Dragomir would be receiving two Guardians because she was the last in her line. I looked off to my right where Guardian Belikov's family was sitting. Abe had again outdone himself and arranged for all of them to fly over on his private jet to attend graduation for Rose. She would be very pleased to see them again. In fact I was nearly sure she'd prefer Olena Belikova as a her mother before she would consider me if she had the choice. Next to them was Natasha Ozera. She was Christian's only relative. She was chatting lightly with one of the Belikov's. I had great respect for her. She not only used her magic to protect Christian and save his life, but she had great respect for us Dhampirs and what we gave up to protect our Moroi charges. She was a social outcast and I felt genuinely sorry for her and her nephew who sadly would probably end up unprotected once again. Moroi politics were corrupt no thanks to the acting Queen Ivashkov. Needless to say that although I respected her I did not care for her as a leader or a person very much.

As the names were called out I waited patiently through the endless list of Badica's until they got to Dragomir. I already knew that Rose was chosen as her Guardian, but Rose wasn't entirely sure and it had to be killing her not knowing.

"Princess Vassilisa Dragomir."called out Headmistress Kirova. I watched as the Princess made her way across the stage. I owed this girl everything. She had saved my daughter's life not once but twice now. I generally didn't have a high opinion of Royal Moroi, but for her and the rest of Rose's friends I had to make an exception. They were truly a remarkable group of individuals. The respect, love and friendship they showed Rose and the rest of us was unprecedented.

"Guarding the Princess will be Guardian Edward Castile and Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway." Announced Guardian Petrov.

The princess let out a squeal and nearly jumped on Rose as she and Guardian Castile, one of Rose's friends joined her on stage. All of the Belikov's, Natasha Ozera , Abe and Lord Ivashkov jumped out of their seats in applause. Rose looked slightly embarrassed, but I could see the happiness radiating off of her.

As the Princess received her Diploma Rose and Guardian Castile were congratulated by Guardian Petrov. She handed Guardian Castile his silver stake that every Novice received upon graduation, but did not hand one to Rose instead she hugged her and whispered something in her ear.

Rose looked off to the right of the stage and there was Guardian Belikov dressed in his Guardian attire. He walked closer to her and handed her a long skinny box. I watched her open it and pull out her Stake. She looked at it and then jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. I guess the cat was out of the bag on their relationship now that graduation had come.

They preceded to call the rest of the names on the list. They had just finished the N's and I watched anxiously as they called his name.

"Christian Ozera."

Tasha looked anxious as they said her nephew's name, but she stood up and cheered as loud as she could as did the Princess, Rose and the rest of their friends.

"Guarding Lord Ozera will be Guardian Dimitri Belikov." Announced Guardian Petrov. As surprised as I was to find this information out there were some who were even more flummoxed by the announcement including Christian himself.

I watched as Christian and Tasha shared a look of shock and then contentment that they'd finally been reinstated into the Royal Circle. Rose's jaw was practically on the floor as she gaped at Dimtiri. He just smiled at her knowingly. She obviously did not have prior knowledge of the plans. I had to laugh at that. I sometimes did not understand how the two of them ended up together. Then there was the Princess who was squealing and jumping up and down like a crazy person. Guardian Belikov's family just beamed at him proudly.

CPOV

I watched sullenly as Lissa got her diploma and Eddie and Rose were announced as her guardians. They were all excited and celebrating. Rose and Dimitri's families were cheering and they all looked really happy. I loved Lissa beyond words, but sometimes it floored me at how well she was treated because of her status as the last of the Dragomir line. I knew it was a lonely life to lead and a hard road in life, but none the less I was jealous. She herself was not into acting Royal and that is what I loved about her, but sometimes I felt like moving to Court and being around all those other Royals was going to change her into their puppet and she'd eventually have no use for someone like me. I was at best a Strigoi wannabe in everyone's opinion, although I had received a battle start tattoo for my help in the attack. I wasn't going to get it, but Rose had convinced me that it was an honor and I should be proud to wear it. She was really a true friend.

My family was always going to be tainted with the fact that my parents had willingly turned Strigoi. Even though Tasha and I had nothing to do with that we were still viewed as outsiders. They treated my Aunt like crap and that is why she rarely came around the other Moroi and even when she did she stayed away from them as much as possible. They wouldn't even assign her a Guardian.

She'd asked Belikov to be her Guardian earlier in the year because they were friends, but he'd turned her down. She was kind of in love with him and at first I thought he turned her down because it was more prestigious to be Lissa's Guardian, but then I found out about his relationship with Rose and I couldn't blame him anymore. I knew what it was like to be alone and I didn't want my Aunt to be the reason that Rose was unhappy. I love her like a sister even though I give her a hard time. She and I were more alike than I'd care to admit and we were really badass when we teamed up to kill Strigoi.

I heard them call my name and I walked purposefully up to Headmistress Kirova to get my diploma. Ozeras will hold their heads high no matter what anyone else thinks.

"Guarding Lord Ozera will be Guardian Dimitri Belikov." Announced Guardian Petrov.

Did I hear correctly? Did they just assign me a guardian? My mouth was hanging open as I registered what they had said. I glanced at Tasha. As I figured she hadn't expected this either. She smiled at me though and clapped her hands. I heard Lissa squealing with excitement.

I walked across the stage dumbfounded.

"It will be a pleasure to serve you Lord Ozera." Said Guardian Belikov bowing to me.

Now he was making me uncomfortable. It had been a long time since anyone had bowed to an Ozera.

"Thanks." I managed. To my surprised Rose stepped forward and embraced me tightly.

"See Sparky I told you so." She said with smirk.

"Glad you were right for once Rose." I said smiling back at her before retaking my seat.

**So Rose and Eddie get to be Lissa's Guardians and Christian gets Dimitri for a Guardian. Yay! I like when there are happy times. Although don't forget about those Strigoi. They certainly haven't forgotten about Rose. **

**Review and Abe will buy you something pretty…=)**


	44. Chapter 44: But You Don't Have a License

**Chapter 44: But You Don't have a License?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plotline. I do however own the sweet caring kind loving Dimitri portrayed in my story, not the evil, vile, jerky, lying sack of you know what that is a part of the regular series. Anyways onto better things. Yes this is the calm before the storm. Big trouble is brewing with the Strigoi. It's only a matter of time before they strike. I'd say you have a good 3 chapters of fluff before anything terrible happens. **

**So here is the second half of graduation. **

**On a side note: To all Chicagoans like myself wooo wooo Blackhawks win the first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs! Who's excited for game 2?**

**RPOV**

Graduation was surprising to say the least. Eddie was going to be LIssa's other guardian, my mother showed up in a dress and sat with the parents, the Belikov's had come to visit, and Dimitri was assigned as Christian's guardian. I was so happy and excited that nothing could ruin my mood. That is until I remembered the meeting we were going to have in a few hours. Those blasted Strigoi why couldn't they just let me have my moment for once?

There was a party for all the Moroi and Novices graduating in the cafeteria. There was food and music and decorations and all. After getting a plate full of goodies I joined our large group at a long table.

"Roza we're so happy to see you." Exclaimed Viktoria coming over and hugging me tightly.

The rest of the Belikov's followed suit. Olena handed me a small package. I opened it to reveal a recipe collection of Dimitri's favorite Russian foods.

"I can't cook." I whispered to Olena. "But thank you."

"Don't worry you will learn." She said with a laugh. "Dimka will teach you. He's quite good at it."

He had better hope so or he'll have to deal with food poisoning from my attempts. I thought with a grimace.

"Congratulations my Little Dhampir. I'm very proud of you." Said Adrian with his arm around my shoulder. He kissed my cheek softly.

"Thank you." I replied.

Lissa interrupted me as usual.

_Did you know that Dimitri was going to be Christian's Guardian?_

_Nope it was a surprise to me as well. Remember when he went to Court a few months ago? That is what he was doing._

_I can't wait this is going to be so great!_

_Me neither Liss!_

"Hey keep your conversations where we can hear them." Growled Christian.

"Geez Sparky don't go all Edward Cullen on us." I teased.

He looked like he was going to blow his top. Then he laughed. "Man life is going to be quite interesting at our house." He remarked.

"Ugh." I groaned. I was less than thrilled that I was going to be the third wheel in their house at Court.

I looked at Dimitri. He had a big smile on his face.

"What? It's not funny. I already get sucked into their escapades and I don't even live close to them. Think of how bad it is going to be when I live in their house with them." I moaned putting my head in my hands.

"Well I thought I'd tell you later, but now is as good a time as any." Dimitri started.

"I managed to get Lord Ozera and the Princess their own townhouse. They're called Chanticlear Lake Town Houses."

"Oh My GOD!" cried LIssa jumping out of her seat. "Those are the best ones and they're so hard to get however did you manage?"

He smirked. "I may have played the whole Last of the Dragomir's card." He admitted.

"Thank you Thank you Thank you!" she was practically screaming now.

"Hey that's where I live." Said Adrian. I glanced over at him. He and Viktoria were practically playing footsie under the table.

I shot him a look as if to say do you have a death wish?

He just smiled and clasped her hand under the table. She winked at me. I sighed. Thankfully Dimitri was not paying attention to them right now.

"So where is Rose going to live and you an Eddie?" Questioned Lissa.

"Took you long enough." I teased. I was quite curious about that myself.

"Well since there were two houses available I told them we'd take both. That is if Rose doesn't mind living with me." He said nervously glancing between Janine and Abe. Both looked a little peeved at the thought but neither said anything.

It took me a minute to comprehend what he just said. He wanted to move in together. Me and him under the same roof all alone. I was jumping up and down on the inside,but I didn't want them to know so I tried to be cool about it.

"Really Comrade?" I asked.

"Yes really." He said taking my hand in his.

"I'll have to think it through." I responded casually acting like it was no big deal.

"I saw his face fall and I felt confusion coming from Lissa."  
"Sorry I didn't mean to assume. We can always rearrange… "he started.

"Relax Comrade. I was pulling your leg. I would love to live with you." I said reaching up and kissing him softly on the lips. He let out a deep breath and pulled me closer.

"Roza that wasn't nice." He growled in my ear.

"Who says I'm nice?" He deepened our kiss.

Time for presents cried Lissa eagerly trying to break us apart I think.

I sat down next to my father and Dimitri sat beside me. He'd already given me my gift. He's had a special stake made just for me with my name on it and it was beautifully decorated with Roses and vines going all the way from the top to the bottom. On the side it had a Russian inscription. It said I love you my Roza and I am very proud of you. Love Dimitri. I nearly cried when he gave it to me. It isn't every day that your lover gives you a personalized weapon.

Tasha gave Christian a ring that belonged to his father. He looked as if he were going to cry. Christian gave Lissa a necklace that belonged to his mother. She of course was delighted.

Eddie's mom gave him a stereo for his new room. I'd found out from Dimitri that there were rather nice apartments above each of our townhouses and Eddie would be occupying the one above ours. I was so excited that he was going to Court with us. Mia was already living there so we would see her regularly as well. Unfortunately she wasn't able to make graduation, but we'd see her soon.

"Little Dhampir I made you something." Said Adrian pulling me aside.

"You didn't have to." I said. "You know I don't need anything, but your friendship." I told him honestly although I was curious about what he made.

"Here open it." He said excitedly. He thrust a small turquoise and white box towards me.

I recognized it instantly. "Adrian unless you are a fire user and can weld metal you didn't make anything from Tiffany."

"Just open it." He replied.

I did and it was beautiful. Inside was a thick silver bangle bracelet. I picked it up and as I did I felt a small tingling sensation flow through me. I gasped a little.

"I infused it with my Spirit magic." He said happily. "One of Viktoria's neighbors it turns out is a Spirit user named Oksana. She has a bond mate and he is shadow kissed. She makes him Spirit infused charms to keep the darkness and spirits at bay." He explained.

"Oh Adrian this is so thoughtful and beautiful." I cried throwing my arms around him.

"Why are you so sweet to me?" I asked. "Isn't you girlfriend jealous?" I teased.

"No I'm not Roza." You are my sister and I know you would never steal my boyfriend." Said Viktoria coming up behind me.

I laughed and wiped the tears that were in my eyes. I had such wonderful friends and family.  
"Don't look now, but I think YOUR boyfriend is getting jealous." She teased pointing to Dimitri who was glaring at Adrian for giving me jewelry.

"Don't worry I'll handle him." I said. "Thanks again Adrian you are the best."

"Anything for my Little Dhampir." He said with a huge grin.

"Rose I have something for you." Said my mother handing me a rectangular box. It was about the size of a large book, but a little thinner.

"Two presents in one year?" I joked.

"Open it." She commanded not finding my joke funny I guess. I tore off the paper to reveal a brand new IPAD.

"Mom. I don't know what to say." I said looking at her in awe.

"I thought you'd need it if you're going to fit in with all those college co-eds next year." She said with a slight smile.

I threw my arms around her. She hugged me back. "I'm so glad you're here Mom." I told her.

"Me too Rose. I have another surprise for you." She said pulling away.

"Oh my God you're not pregnant are you?" I blurted out without thinking. Just the idea of my parents having sex was enough to give me nightmares worse than the ones with Strigoi.

She looked at me in horror while my father just looked amused.

" No that isn't it Rosemarie. Your father requested me as his Guardian and he bought a house close to Court so we can spend time there when we visit you."

"Wait what? You're going to be his Guardian? How? Are you guys really together?" I asked not really sure if I wanted to know the answer. I had been joking with what I'd said earlier.

"Yes Kizim your mother and I have decided to rekindle our love and she is coming to live with me." Said Abe coming up and putting his arms around my mother's waist. She blushed as he leaned down and kissed her neck.

"Ugh gross Abe please." I cried thoroughly grossed out with their public display of affection.

"Hey it's no different than watching you and Belikov make out." Commented Abe.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. "You did not just say that Baba!"

"Sure I did Kizim. You're eighteen now you know how it works." He said winking at me.

"Kill me now." I cried in horror. I glanced over at Dimitri. He had his Guardian face on. I really needed to practice that.

"You wouldn't want that just yet Kizim. Then you wouldn't get to see your present."  
My eyes lit up. "Present?"

"Come on I'll show you."

My mother and I and the rest followed us all out to the edge of the Academy property. Where are we going? I wondered.

"Do you know what this is about?" I asked Dimitri.

"Not a clue." He grumbled grasping my hand in his.

We stopped when we reached the parking lot. One of Abe's Guardians pulled up in a Black SUV.

"Thought you might need a car to go with that License." He whispered in my ear.

I shrieked. "You got me a Mercedes?"

_Rose we're going to have so much fun with that! Can I have the first ride?_

_Who else would I take?_

_I dunno Dimitri?_

_He won't replace you don't worry Liss!_

I looked at my friends. They were all stunned. Dimtri had his guardian mask on but I could tell he wasn't too happy.

"Abe I can't believe you did that without talking to me." Said my mother.

"Relax she's going to be at Court and she's going to need a car. Plus I have 18 years of Birthdays and Christmas's to make up for." He said with a laugh.

"Thanks Baba!" I said hugging him tight. "You don't have to do stuff like this though. I'd love you anyway."

"I know Kiz, but I wanted to. Besides you earned it graduating top of your class and being assigned to the last 's quite an accomplishment." He praised me.

"You don't have your license." Said Dimitri.

"Sure I do." I grinned and pulled it out of my purse.

"But Kirova wouldn't let you." Said Lissa confused.

"Where did you get that?" Dimitri questioned suspiciously.

"I have my sources." I said winking at Adrian and then Abe.

"Have you ever driven?" asked Christian.

"Sure Adrian let me drive to Missoula on my birthday."

Dimitri glared at him.

Adrian just shrugged and went back to Viktoria.

_Rose is it just me or is Adrian flirting with Dimitri's sister_

_It's not you. They've been long distance dating since Russia._

_He's going to murder Adrian you know._

_I know._

"There's one last present." Said Lissa excitedly.

"Attention everyone." She cleared her throat to get people's attention.

"I've decided that this year has been really rough on everyone and that we all deserve a vacation so July 14th -21st Me, Christian, Rose, Dimitri, Eddie, Mia, and Adrian are going to Hawaii!" she screamed flashing Hawaiian leis at us.

"Liss are you serious?" I asked.

"As a heart attack."

I squealed and gathered her into a huge hug.

"Man that's the best present ever." Said Adrian. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"What will we do about Guardians?" I asked.

"Don't worry it's a Moroi resort. It's heavily warded and they supply guardians. You guys will only have a few shifts because everyone pitches in."

"Awesome." Said Eddie. "I'm stoked."

**So there you have it. Any bets on whether or not they actually make it to Hawaii? How did you like Dimitri's reaction to Abe's gift? Does anyone else think Adrian is playing with fire? **


	45. Chapter 45: Voice of Reason

**Chapter 45: Voice of Reason**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters or plotline. **

**Chicago Blackhawks 2 down 2 to go and then we'll be Stanley Cup Champions! WOOWOO! Game 2 is on tonight yay! **

DPOV

I was so excited to give Rose the stake I had made for her. All novices received a plain silver stake upon graduation, but I told Alberta that I had something special in mind for Rose. She knew exactly what I meant and permitted it.

A Guardian only gets his or her first stake once and I wanted Rose's to be from me. When she opened it I could see tears in her eyes.

She jumped into my arms. "Thank You." She whispered.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She replied.

When they announced that I was Christian's Guardian Rose nearly had a heart attack she was so excited.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Is that why you went to Court?" she asked.

"You amaze me how did you figure it out?"

"Adrian told me you hadn't been summoned so I knew you were lying. "She replied.

Damn him why did he have to know everything? At least she wasn't mad. That was something.

After the ceremony Tasha thanked me profusely for volunteering to be her nephew's Guardian. We both knew it wasn't the Queen's idea.

"I can't thank you enough Dimka." She said hugging me tightly. Thankfully Rose was otherwise occupied or I may have had to pull her off of Tasha. I haven't the faintest idea of why she's so jealous. She knows that she will always be the only one for me.

"He deserves to have his own Guardian and this way I can stay close to Rose." I told her.

"No matter the reason I really appreciate it. Now we will all get to be together for special occasions." I'm sure Rose will be just thrilled about that.

"I consider you a very good friend Tasha and I find it an honor to serve the Ozera's."

"Cut the formal crap." She'd told me with a laugh. "I thought Christian was going to fall over when you bowed to him and called him Lord Ozera." She laughed.

"He did seem surprised." I agreed.

When I announced the living arrangements I saw Abe and Janine glaring at me, but they didn't interfere.

I was slightly annoyed that Ivashkov gave her expensive jewelry, but the Princess explained how he'd infused it with Spirit and that made me feel better that it served a purpose, but did he have to give her Tiffany. I could never afford to give her such nice things. I knew deep down that she didn't focus on things like that, but it still aggravated me a little.

It was touching that Janine had thought to get her a computer. She would need one for school. I knew she wasn't too focused on what classes they'd be taking, but the Princess had decided to allow Rose to choose one of her classes each semester so she'd have something to keep her interest. I was amazed at how well those two got along. They were by far from two different worlds. It didn't seem to matter.

I was not prepared for Abe Mazur's gift to his daughter though. I found it strange that he would take us to the parking lot to get her gift until I saw it that is.

One of his guardians pulled up in a sleek black Mercedes SUV. The look on Rose's face as he whispered in her ear was priceless.

Did he know that she didn't have a license or know how to drive? This guy was really getting on my last nerve. I wondered how hard it would be to take out Pavel and Sergei? Eh he's probably shoot fire at me and I'd end up fried to a crisp.

"You don't have your license." I reminded her.

"Sure I do." She grinned and pulled it out of her purse.

Where did she get that? It looked authentic enough.

"But Kirova wouldn't let you." Said Lissa confused.

"Where did you get that?" I questioned.

"I have my sources." she said winking at Adrian and then Abe.

I should have known that those corrupt Moroi would be behind it.

"Have you ever driven?" asked Christian with a laugh.

"Sure Adrian let me drive to Missoula on my birthday."

I gave Ivashkov a death stare. Was it so wrong for me to want to be the one to have taught her to drive?

He just walked away and if my eyes weren't deceiving me he was making a move on my sister. I'd have to talk to her about it later. I wasn't too worried though Viktoria was a smart girl. There's no way she'd fall for a cad like Ivashkov.

I watched Rose's face light up as the Princess announced her gift as a trip to Hawaii for everyone. I'd helped her with the plans and I knew Roza would be pleased. I had a little surprise of my own planned for the trip.

We all disbursed and I had a few minutes alone with Rose before we were all meeting up for dinner to discuss our Strigoi issue.

RPOV

I had a plan, but I didn't want to just come out in the open with it before talking with Dimitri. He was my voice of reason and if I was going to do something crazy he would be the first to tell me.

So as soon as we were alone I sprung it on him.

"So I was thinking Adrian can pinpoint exactly who it is that was dream walking me and once we do that you, me, Eddie, Christian, Janine and Abe can go hunt them down." I finished explaining my plan.

He looked thoughtful then his brow furrowed and he frowned. "I don't like it Roza. I don't want you in any danger."

I sighed heavily. "Comrade, you can't protect me forever. Remember what we talked about?" I asked lifting my hair to show my promise mark. "I am a Guardian now whether you like it or not."

He stepped closer to me and ran his hand over the back of my exposed neck sending shivers down my spine.

"I know that and I accept it, but the point of being a Guardian is to protect our Moroi charges when Strigoi attack not to go hunt them down."

"I know that, but just listen for a minute. If we wait for them to attack it will be on their terms and they will have the upper hand. If we figure out their plan and bring the fight to a place and time of our choosing then we will have a better chance. I don't want Lissa anywhere near us when we fight them."

"Just the same if we leave them unprotected they could be attacked while we are gone." He argued.

Shit I didn't think of that. "That's true." I admitted. "I just can't stand the thought of just sitting around waiting for them to come and get Lissa. It makes me so mad." I raged trembling slightly at the thought of them getting their hands on her.

"Roza it won't come to that I promise. We are going to think through this, find out as much information as we can and go on the defensive. We'll be ready." He said trying to reassure me.

I trusted him one-hundred percent, but I wasn't sure that this would work.

"Let's just see what the others think before we make any decisions." He said.

I agreed for now.

JPOV

The meeting was utter chaos. The Moroi wanted to fight along side the Guardians. I could see the possibility of Lord Ozera and Abe being useful, but as for Lord Ivashkov and the Princess well that was another matter. They did not have any line of defense. The Princess argued that they'd need to be around to heal the wounded, but Rose put her foot down.

"No Liss! You need to be safe. I can't risk you. It's my job to protect you and I say no." she said forcefully.

"But Rose, I don't want you to always putting yourself on the line for me."

"Liss that is the way it's supposed to be."

Then they glared at each other for over a minute without saying a word. Both looked murderous. While this was going on Lord Ivashkov's eyes were moving back and forth from the Princess to Rose like a ping pong match.

They must be communicating through the bond I realized. Lord Ivashkov could see it in their Aura's. I was really starting to get the hang of all this magic stuff.

"Enough!" Guardian Belikov's voice rang out and everyone stopped talking and looked at him.

"Only fire users will fight and we will not seek them out. Is that clear?" He barked.

I'd never seen him be so forceful. I looked at Rose expecting her to throw a fit.

She remained quiet and stood next to Belikov supporting his decision. That was a surprise to me. She usually would be the first to jump in and fight. He really was a good influence on her.

I shot her a small nod of approval and she nodded back.

**Please review! What do you think about Rose being all mature and stuff? Do you think it will last? Do you think Dimitri's plan is the best way to go or was Rose right and they should seek them out and fight on their own terms? Next up a move to the Royal Court Yay! **


	46. Chapter 46: Compelling Argument

**Chapter 46: Compelling Argument**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy and if I did I'd have a sexy Russian chasing me around my house =)**

**Sorry I know I promised you a trip to the Royal Court, but I just had to put in Dimitri finding out about Adrian and Viktoria first. I know some of you had wanted him to find out about them in your reviews. The Royal Court is yet to come.**

DPOV

After the meeting Rose and I accompanied my family back to guest housing.

"Do you really think that you'll need all that extra patrolling at Court?" asked my mother. "Aren't they heavily warded?"

"That is what we thought about St. Vladimir's before the attack." I responded.

We were all sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee when I realized that Viktoria was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Vivie Mama?" I asked.

"She's out with a friend." She replied vaguely avoiding my gaze.

"Friend? Who does she know here besides us? Is she with the Princess?" I asked my curiosity and uneasiness growing.

The entire family refused to look me in the eye including Rose. My sisters made excuses and went off to bed.

"Roza? Do you know something?"

"Dimitri maybe we should go somewhere and talk." She suggested nervously.

"Why would we need to do that?" She was keeping something from me.

"Well there's something I think I should tell you, but you aren't going to like it and if I have to restrain you I don't want anyone to get in the way."

"Restrain me?" Oh this wasn't going to be good. I think I know what's going on and she's right I'm not going to like hearing it.

"Tell me Roza."

She stood up and placed herself between the door and myself. "Promise you won't leave this room." She said.

"I promise." I lied knowing full well she wouldn't be able to hold me back if I truly wanted to leave.

She took a deep breath.

"Viktoria is with Adrian. They've been long distance dating since we returned from Russia." She said quickly.

My blood began to boil at her words. "What?" I cried.

"Mama you allow this?" I nearly shouted at her in Russian.

"Calm down Dimka. She's having fun and he seems like a very nice young man."

"Calm down, nice young man? You've got to be kidding me. He's a Moroi Royal for God's sake. He's the God damned Queen's nephew."

I needed to put a stop to this before it went too far. I lunged for the door. Rose anticipated this and came at me hard from the front. She managed to knock me down, but I recovered quickly.

"Dimitri. You promised." She said using her entire body weight trying hard to hold me down. If I wasn't so angry and my family wasn't here I would have found our position arousing.

"Roza get out of my way. I don't want to hurt you." I was seething.

"Calm down Comrade. He's a good guy and I had a talk with him. He's on his best behavior. I promise." She said still trying to coax me into not breaking his neck.

"Remember all the things he's done for me? He's saved my life twice now." She continued.

"How long have you known about this?" I asked exasperated.

"A few months." She admitted.

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me that my youngest sister was being womanized by a Moroi five years older than her?"

She laughed. She actually laughed at me.

"Comrade you're seven years older than me remember?"

Damn she had a point, but this was my little sister we were talking about.

"That's besides the point and that was different. You're different." I hissed. She had seen and done more than many others her age. My sister did not have those experiences. She was still a child. Roza was a woman.

" Get off of me. I just want to talk to him." I said not wanting to use force on her.

"Let them be. It's not a big deal Calm down." She said looking me straight in the eye.

I blinked and suddenly I couldn't remember why it was that I was so angry. I felt s strange sense of serenity come over me. I looked at Rose she was poised for an attack. My family just stood there watching us.

I shook my head. I felt strange. A minute ago I was hopping mad ready to kill Ivashkov and now it didn't seem to bother me one bit. I'd felt like this before. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

And then I remembered. I'd felt like the day Rose was taken when the Princess had used compulsion on me.

No it couldn't be. Rose was a Dhampir. She didn't have magic or did she?

RPOV

Oh this was going to be bad. I knew for a fact Viktoria was with Adrian. They were probably off somewhere making out or worse. I could not let Dimitri go after her. If he caught them in a compromising position he'd kill Adrian and I didn't think I was strong enough to stop him.

I tried to stop him. He promised not to leave the room, but I could tell that was a lie. There was rage in his eyes and a grimace crossed his face as he balled his hands into fists and began a tirade of angry Russian words at his mother. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I'm sure it was somewhere along the lines of womanizing drunken Royal Moroi and such other things Dimitri had often said about Adrian.

He lunged for the door and I managed to catch him off guard and he fell backwards on the ground. I threw my body on top of him quickly although I knew he could easily throw me off him if he wanted to.

I laughed when he cited their age difference as a reason for them not to be together. I gently reminded him that he was 7 years my senior.

"That's besides the point and that was different. You're different." he hissed.

While I had to agree that what he said was true I trusted Adrian and I knew he was sincere in his feelings. He would treat her with respect because he knew that I would only hold Dimitri off him if he was behaving. If not then I'd kick his ass myself. Viktoria was my sister too.

" Get off of me. I just want to talk to him." He growled.

"Let them be. It's not a big deal calm down." I said looking him straight in the eye.

As I was speaking to him trying to calm him down his eyes seemed to glaze over and his body instantly relaxed underneath mine. I felt the tension leave him and he looked confused. He shook his head as if trying to remember where he was. He looked around and a very strange look came across his face as he looked at me.

I had seen similar things happen to people before, but how? Usually it took a while for someone to calm down, but as soon as I told him to relax it was instantaneous. That didn't happen unless. Oh my God, Did I just use compulsion on him? Wait no what am I saying. I can't do that. Could I?

_Liss? Are you with me? _

_Yep. Sorry you pulled me in and I couldn't get out._

_Did you use compulsion? _

_I think so. I just focused on what you were saying and tried to reach out to him through you. I can't believe it worked. _

_This is awesome and kinda scary. For a minute there I actually thought It was me who did it._

_Oh Rose, don't worry. This is going to be really good. If I can learn to control this it will be to our advantage. Think about it. No one would ever catch us because Dhampirs can't use compulsion. No one would even suspect it. _

_Hey maybe we could use it on the Queen._

_Rose, you're so bad, but I love the way you think._

_Hey Liss gotta go Dimitri is staring at me funny. _

_Are you going to tell him? _

_Only if he figures it out._

_Sounds good. I won't tell anyone yet either._

I snapped back to reality. Dimitri was staring at me. I realize he'd moved us both so we were sitting on the living room couch instead of me straddling him on the floor.

"Rose where were you? With the Princess?"

"Yeah sorry I didn't mean to freak everyone out." I knew how it must have looked to his family me blanking out like that and all.

"We figured that's where you were." Said Olena. "Plus Yeva said not to worry."

I glanced over at the old woman. She was eying me suspiciously. I knew she knew what I just did. The question is did Dimitri?

_APOV_

After our meeting Viktoria and I managed to sneak off without Belikov noticing. It had been months since we'd seen each other in person and we had lost time to make up for. She and I had stayed up all night in Russia talking and laughing. She was so carefree and very funny. She had a great sense of humor and she was so beautiful. I had taken an instant liking to her and before we left we'd exchanged e-mails and cell numbers.

I had texted her the minute we landed at the Academy. I didn't really put much stock into her texting me back, but sure enough after our meeting with Kirova I had three new messages in my inbox. After a few weeks of texting and e-mails it wasn't enough for me and I asked if I could call her. I had an international cell phone plan because of my parents that were often in Romania and it turns out she did as well because she had recently been keeping in touch with Belikov.

I had to keep remembering that she was his sister. I couldn't afford to make mistakes with her. He'd definitely kill me or at least put me in the hospital. Rose had promised to help keep him off my tail if I behaved myself. I had no intention of doing anything too physical with her until we'd at least been dating a while and even so she was sixteen and I thought we should wait to have sex until she is closer to eighteen even though that is going to be hard. I would try my best. She was like family to Rose and I loved Rose and I didn' t want to do anything to mess up the friendship we had.

"Where are we going Adrian?" She asked in her really cute Russian accent.

"You'll see. Just follow me." I told her.

I led her out to the pond behind the Guardian dorms. I often came here to think and to be alone. It was very serene and I enjoyed spending time here.

"Wow this place is beautiful." She commented.

"I like it." I told her. "It's probably one of the things I will miss the most about this place when we leave for Court tomorrow."

We sat down in the grass and she gazed out at the water. I put my arm around her shoulders.

"Is that okay?" I asked her.

"Of course it is." She replied leaning her head to rest on my shoulder.

I wanted to kiss her so badly and this was the perfect setting, very romantic. I wanted it to be special seeing is that it would be our first kiss.

She turned to look at me. This was the perfect opening. I lifted my hand to her cheek and caressed it gently.

"You are so beautiful." I told her.

She smiled at me and blushed a little. I leaned closer and she met me halfway. As our lips touched softy for the first time I felt my heart skip a beat as our mouths moved slowly in sync with each other.

It was sweet and chaste just the way a first kiss was meant to be. I pulled away and looked into her eyes. I could tell that she could be the one to steal my heart. I'd always thought I'd never love anyone that is until I met Rose. My feelings for her were strong and very real, I never thought I'd feel that way about someone again, but now I realized I could.

I sighed in contentment as the soft breeze carried the scent of lilacs and cherry blossoms.

"I wish we could stay like this forever."she said.

"Me too." I agreed.

"We better get back before my brother sends a search party or worse comes looking for me himself." She joked.

"Yea I do want to stay alive." I replied.

As we were walking back towards guest housing my phone beeped with a text from Lissa.

**He knows so watch out!** It said.

I inhaled sharply and showed the text to Viktoria.

"Uh oh!"

**So do you think it is awesome that Rose can use compulsion? I think it is… I also think I'm a genius hehe don't' I have a big head? Please review pretty please with Dimka on top?**


	47. Chapter 47: You Know Why

**Chapter 47: You Know Why**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plotline. **

**Chicago Blackhawks 3 down 1 to go! **

**Also, Happy One Year Wedding Anniversary to me and my hubby. Yay! **

RPOV

Things had quieted down and Dimitri and his mother were talking quietly in Russian in the kitchen area. His sisters and Paul had gone to bed some time ago.

"We need to talk." Said Yeva softly coming up behind me. I nearly jumped as she was stealthy in her approach.

She pulled me aside and the look on her face was grim.

"I have seen what is to come. There will be a battle and some will be lost. Those which you least expect will commit the ultimate betrayal and treason to finish the job they started when they took you." Her voice was eerily calm as she spoke.

"I'm sorry can you be more specific?" I asked glancing over at Dimitri. Thankfully he had his back turned to me.

"Hush child. I have not seen the outcome of battle only felt the grief."

"Why tell me and not Dimitri?" I asked curiously.

" Dimka must not know the plan until the last possible minute. He will never agree to what needs to be done. There will be hard choices ahead and you will need to make them alone. The rest of them and their love cloud your judgment. You are strongest. You and you alone will lead them into the final battle. The one who sacrifices everything will succeed."

With that said she quickly left the room leaving me dumbfounded.

That woman infuriates me to no end. Always with the riddles that made my brain want to explode. I was too tired to remain awake any longer.

"You are tired Roza let's go back to your room."

"You might have to carry me Comrade. I'm too tired to walk." I said trying to keep the mood light even with the gloom and doom of Yeva's words hanging over me like a storm cloud.

"I might just take you up on that." He said and I gasped as he swept me clean off my feet and carried me all the way back to my room. I quickly changed into one of his T-shirts and pulled my hair back before snuggling up next to my Russian god and falling fast asleep.

DPOV

I woke early as we were leaving for the Royal Court at ten. It was around six right now. Most students had cleared out of the Academy with their parents last night after Graduation. I slipped out of bed and kissed Roza's cheek before dressing and leaving the room.

I wanted to find Ivashkov this morning before we left and give him a good warning. I was still not happy with the idea of him with Viktoria, but Rose and my mother had convinced me to give him a chance. I had to admit that my sudden change of heart could have been Rose using compulsion on me.

That was still something I couldn't explain. One minute I was raving mad and the next I felt completely calm. Maybe Ivashkov would know. Great now I was looking at him as a source of information instead of a constant pain in my side.

I knocked on his door loudly and he answered a few minutes later groggily.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw it was me at the door. He actually looked a little frightened. Rose must have given him a heads up last night. I should have figured. Those two were thick as thieves.

"Can I come in?" I asked politely.

He glanced around nervously. There was no one in the hallway and Guest Housing was nearly emptied out for the summer.

"Uh sure." He said opening the door.

He was still in his night clothes. I could have easily given him a good smackdown if I wanted, but I didn't want to anger the women in my life. Rose would be angry and Viktoria would probably never speak to me again for interfering in her affairs of the heart as she put it to me once.

"So you know about us." He asked cautiously.

"I do." I replied.

He flinched and put his arms up in surrender. "Have at it then." He said closing his eyes.

He really thought I was here to hit him. I'll give him snaps for not running away like a coward.

"Relax Ivashkov. I'm not going to hit you." I told him.

"You're not?"

"No."

"Can I ask why?"

"You know why."

"Rose?"

"Partially, but also Viktoria."

He relaxed a little as if he believed that I wasn't going to hurt him.

I sat down in an oversized arm chair. He sat across from me.

"I just came here to warn you that if you hurt my sister not even Rose will be able to keep me from killing you." I threatened. He had the decency to appear frightened.

"I won't hurt her. I care for her. I would never hurt a woman on purpose especially someone so important to my best friend." He replied.

"Best friend?" I asked.

"Yes, Rose is my best friend." He said wincing. I think he thought I would sock him for that as well.

"I see."

"Also, Viktoria is very special to me and I wouldn't dream of doing anything to cause her pain." He continued in a serious tone.

"You bet she's special and you better not forget it." I told him.

"I didn't just come here for that. I have a question about Spirit as well and I didn't want to ask when Rose was around." I admitted.

"Oh, well ask away." He replied.

"Last night when I found out about you and Viktoria I was very angry and I wanted to hurt you." I told him.

He didn't seem surprised.

"What changed that?" he asked.

"That is what is bothering me. Are there any instances in which a Dhampir has been known to use compulsion?" I asked.

He looked at me with a strange look on his face.

"Not that I've ever heard of, but that doesn't mean that it isn't possible. Why do you ask?"

"Do you remember when the Princess used compulsion on me to force out my feelings for Rose?"

"Yes."

"Well last night when I was angry Rose looked me right in the eyes and told me to calm down. I felt strange just like that other time and then I was calm. I felt dazed." I explained.

" That is puzzling. And you're sure that you just didn't see reason because she asked you to calm down and you love her and want to please her?" he asked.

"I am not that whipped!" I said defiantly. "She did something to me. I'm sure of it."

He started to laugh. The nerve of him. Here I was trying to be all civil with him and it was hard seeing as that he was first in love with my Roza and now he was dating my sister and this Ass was sitting here laughing at me to my face.

I glared at him. "You find this comical?" I asked menacingly

He backed away from me slightly.

"Of course I do." He guffawed slapping his knee. He was really pushing his luck.

"You think you are not whipped. That's hysterical. Rose has had you wrapped around her finger since day one and you know it. I don't blame you. I'd do anything for her. She's just the kind of genuine good soul that makes a guy want to do anything to make her happy." He said composing himself.

He had me there. I was her Bitch and I knew it, but I didn't have to admit that I'd given her my man card out loud.

"Whatever back to the question at hand. Do you think she could have done it?" I demanded.

He looked thoughtful.

"No." he replied.

"Not even with her abilities?"

"Not likely. Her Aura still resembles that of a Dhampir. If she was able to use Spirit it would mean that she was crossing the line to being Moroi and so far her Aura is normal."

"Normal?"

"Well normal for Rose." He said.

"Then how?"

"I have a theory. Tell me was Rose worked up at the time?"

"Yes. Why would that matter?"

"Well if she was upset then it's possible that Lissa was pulled into her head and that somehow Rose's want for you to be calm was relayed to Lissa and Rose channeled the compulsion through her making it seem as though she was the one who compelled you only she wasn't alone Get my drift?"

It made perfect sense. And Rose had been communicating with Lissa right after. Damn I hated when he wasn't drunk. He actually was quite insightful.

"It's a possibility to consider allright." I said as I headed for the door.

"Does she know she did it?" he called after me.

"Probably."

Just one more thing she hid from me. I was beginning to wonder how we could be together if she continued to keep things from me.

I headed back towards the Dhampir dorms probably for the last time. I'd arranged for all of Rose's things and mine to be taken to the private jet that the Queen had sent to transport all of us to the Royal Court so I just wanted to make sure that everything had been taken.

**Okay so don't shoot me. They really are going to the Royal Court. I just needed to get these things in first. So what do you think of Yeva's warning. Do you think Rose should hide it from Dimitri? If she does will he forgive her? **


	48. Chapter 48: Moving Day

**Chapter 48: Moving Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. I do however own a cardboard cutout of Edward Cullen LOL! Ask me why?**

RPOV

I woke up and reached out for Dimitri, but he wasn't there. I figured he had gotten up early as usual to check on the status of our flight and make sure everything was packed. I had to hand it to him he was very good at attending to details and schedule because I was surely not. I groaned as I climbed out of my bed, the bed that I'd slept in since I was five years old. I was really going to miss this place.

I showered and dressed in the clothes I'd laid out last night before grabbing my duffel. As I closed the door to my now empty room I gave it one last look and made my way down to the air strip.

Everyone was pretty much there as I had slept late. I wonder why Dimitri hadn't woken me. I was grateful for the sleep though.

"Rose! Over here." Cried Lissa excitedly waving at me from the back of the plane.

"I saved you and Dimitri seats across from us." She said pointing them out to me.

I placed my duffel in the overhead compartment making sure to remove my I-POD in case I wanted to use it during the flight.

Everyone was already on board including my mom, Abe, his Guardians and the Belikovs. Dimitri slid into his seat next to me.

"Dobre Uto MIlaya Moya." He said handing me a paper bag and a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

"Spasibo DorogAya Moy." I told him with a smile.

"You know I find it very sexy when you attempt to speak Russian to me." He whispered huskily in my ear.

I giggled. "What's in the bag Comrade?"

"Open it and find out."

I opened the bag to find half a dozen chocolate donuts. They were my favorites. He was so sweet to me. I hated keeping things from him.

"You're the best boyfriend ever." I managed to say with difficulty seeing is that I'd already managed to stuff half a donut in my mouth.

He laughed. "I knew you wouldn't get up in time to eat."

"Care to share?" he asked.

"Only for you would I share donuts." I said handing him one.

"Thank you." He said kissing me softly.

I loved not having to hide our relationship anymore.

The plane ride to Court was pleasant enough. I slept a little, talked with Lissa and listened to some music. With my new bracelet that Adrian made me I wasn't even bothered by the ghosts at all.

Dimitri must have talked to him because Adrian and Viktoria were cuddled up together a few rows in front of us asleep and he didn't seem upset by it.

I mulled over the decision of whether or not to tell Dimitri what Yeva had said. She told me not to, but we'd just agreed to be honest with each other. I know he wouldn't be okay with me leading the fight because he'd be worried, but I think for the sake of our relationship and in case I didn't make it out of this alive that I should tell him. We would have to come to an agreement if this was going to work out between us. We would be strongest working together side by side. I made up my mind to tell him about what she said once we were settled into our new place. I only hoped that it was the right thing to do and I didn't end up getting him killed in the process.

After we landed the Belikovs and my parents were shown to guest housing the rest of us were taken directly to our new houses.  
As we approached them I stopped walking and stared in awe. There they were three beautiful brick town houses standing majestically in their own private section of the property. The courtyard was beautiful it had a pond, cobblestone paths and a beautiful fountain. The houses were all connected and as we approached them I could feel Lissa's excitement bubbling up. Sure enough a few seconds later she squealed with excitement.

We passed through the double French doors of the middle house and were inside a large foyer. The floors were marble, there was a long mirror on one wall, a spiral staircase leading to the second floor and a gorgeous crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. I dropped my bag and gasped at the opulence.

"This one is ours Roza." Dimitri whispered coming up behind me.

"We will stay in this house; Eddie will be in the apartment above us." He led me down a hallway that lead to a large living room. It was fully furnished with hardwood floors, a large sectional sofa; a large flat screen television was mounted on the wall above a stone fireplace. There was a long row of windows that lead out onto a patio facing the courtyard.

"The windows?" I questioned. They wouldn't be good for the Moroi as they were made of regular panes of glass and they did not shield out the sunlight. In fact they were designed specifically to allow sunlight in.

"I had them replaced in this one." Said Lissa with a huge smile on her face. "I wanted you to be able to enjoy the sunlight. I know how much you love it. Ours have protective glass and don't worry. I had room darkening shades installed. Watch."

She clicked a button on the wall next to the windows and shades came down automatically from the top. She pressed it again and they went back up.

"See I thought of everything." She said.

_You're the best!_

_Don't I know it!_

"These doors lead into the other houses." Dimitri pointed out two sets of doors leading off from the living room one to the right and one to the left. "The right one leads to Lissa and Christian's and the left to Adrian's." He explained.

Adrian had already gone to his place and Lissa and Christian headed to theirs leaving Dimitri and I alone in our new home.

"Do you want to see the rest?" he asked.

"You bet I do."

He led me through the living room and into a large kitchen. It was beautiful. There were cherry cabinets with glass doors, the countertops were granite. All the appliances were stainless steel and built into the walls. There was even a convection oven and a dishwasher. There was a breakfast bar and also a dining room table where another chandelier hung above it.

"This place is huge. I hope you can cook Comrade!" I said slapping him playfully on the stomach. "Or you won't be eating." It was true I couldn't even cook macaroni and cheese.

He laughed. "I can and I will teach you."

I briefly imagined us cooking meals together and it made me smile.

"Now for the upstairs." He said sweeping me off my feet and carrying me up the spiral staircase.

The upstairs was just as beautiful as the downstairs. There were three bedrooms. The master bedroom had a bathroom attached to it.

"A Jacuzzi?" I cried excitedly as I took in the large tub. There was also a shower encased in glass next to it.

"We are so trying that out and soon." I told him.

"Yes Roza we shall, but first I believe our new bed needs to be broken in."

He grabbed me and pulled me towards the King sized bed in the middle of the room, our room. I liked the sound of that.

I gasped as I felt his hands trail down my bare thigh as I was wearing a very short pair of shorts and a lace trimmed camisole.

"Have I told you lately how much I adore you?" he asked in between the open mouthed kisses he was placing all over my neck and heaving chest.

"Not in the last oh say hour or so." I managed.

I moaned as he pulled off my shirt and then my shorts and tossed them over the side of the bed.

"You were wearing much too much clothing for my liking my Roza." He growled sexily in my ear as I felt him push aside my red lacey boy shorts and dip on of his long thick fingers deep inside my throbbing core.

"Coomraaaade." I groaned as he continued to work his amazing hands on my center as his other hand released my breasts from their confinement.

"You are so beautiful. "He whispered as he brought his mouth down and settled it on my left breast. He sucked the entire nipple into his mouth and I cried out in pleasure. He continued his assault on my breasts as he plunged his fingers into me faster and harder. I was dripping wet as I rode his fingers until I was nearly to the point of ecstasy and then he stopped.

I lay panting. "You're a tease you know that?" I whimpered.

"No I just want to be inside you when you come my love." He gave me a lusty grin as he maneuvered out of his pants and undergarments swiftly. Without warning he thrust himself forcefully inside of me. My body responded fluidly as I met each thrust with vigor grinding my hips into him as he surged deeper and deeper inside me causing the utmost pleasure and pain at the same time. I grabbed onto the sheets and dug my fingernails into the mattress holding on tight so I wouldn't slam into the headboard.

We reached our climaxes together and after lay panting and sweaty arms and legs tangled together.

"That was amazing." I said.

"You are amazing." He responded softy stroking my bare back.

"We so need to christen the rest of the house." I told him with a wink.

He growled and pulled me closer for another round.

I groaned as the light peeked through the curtains in the bedroom. It was sunset and time to wake up. We hadn't gotten much sleep let's just say that it was a good thing Lissa had thought to get shades for the kitchen windows or our neighbors would have gotten quite a show.

I stretched out and looked over to find Dimitri starting at me.

"See something you like Comrade?" I asked seductively.

"Don't you ever get tired?" he groaned.

"Don't go getting old on me yet." I joked.

"Roooza." He groaned shaking his head.

"We need to talk anyways." I said getting out of bed and pulling on Dimitri's sweatshirt that had been thrown off in haste during out lovemaking spree last night.

"Yes, we do." He said in agreement.

**Well there you have it a move to the Royal Court and some Lemony Goodness from our favorite Russian! Review if you want to make Lemonade with Dimitri! **


	49. Chapter 49: Discussion with the Russian

**Chapter 49: Discussion with the Russian**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters or plotline.**

**Yay We're in Hockey Town Now Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup woo woo! **

**Sorry about the late update and that it is so short. My husband and I went away for the weekend and our car died in the hotel parking lot and we had to have his dad come out and jump it and the funny thing is that my car is in the shop as well. So we are 0 for 2 today grr… Guess I know who's staying home tomorrow... me Yay more time to write.**

**Okay so this chapter is leading somewhere so get ready. The end is near…. Well maybe another 10 chapters or so… Sadness**

DPOV

She was right when she said we needed to talk. I hoped she was going to come clean about using compulsion on me the other night as well as tell me whatever else was bothering her. I could she's been hemming and hawing over whether or not to tell me something since the night I found out about Adrian and my sister. I don't know how I know these things I just do. It's a gift.

While Rose showered and changed I went downstairs to make use of our new kitchen. Lissa had called ahead and had all of the refrigerators pre-stocked with everything imaginable. I had to hand it to her she had excellent planning skills.

I'd just finished serving up the French toast, bacon and scrambled eggs I'd made onto some plates when Rose entered the kitchen. As I gazed at her she again took my breath away with her beauty. I couldn't imagine a more perfect morning waking up next to her and watching her sleep, cooking her breakfast and seeing her walk sleepily into the kitchen still in her night clothes. Damn she was sexy. Focus Dimitri! I told myself as I took our breakfast to the table.

"Mmmm I could get used to this." She said taking a minute to indulge in the delicious smells coming from the stove. That's my Roza always hungry. I chuckled to myself.

I pulled out a chair for her and set down a plate in front of her.

"You're really spoiling me Comrade. You know you're going to have to do this every day now don't you?" she asked between bites.

I laughed as she all but inhaled her food. "I plan on it." I told her honestly. I couldn't believe that at one point I couldn't imagine living with her and now I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live without her.

She smiled at me. "Coffee?" she asked.

"Of course." I replied setting a steaming cup in front of her remembering first to load it up with cream and two sugars the way she liked it. I would never tire of doing the simple things for her that let her know just how much I loved and appreciated being with her.

I sat down across from her and began to eat as well. I didn't want to be the one to start the conversation. I wanted for her to come to me for once.

"There's no easy way to say this…." She started off. Here it comes the start of her finally opening up to me. I waited anxiously for her to continue.

"The other night your grandmother told me some things that she's foreseen and it's not good."

Okay that was unexpected. I had thought she was going to come clean about the compulsion, but this was good too.

"What did she say?" I asked curiously.

She began to explain what Babushka had told her and I was definitely not liking where she was going with it. I allowed her to continue the explanation so I had all the facts.

"She told me you wouldn't like it and not to tell you about it." She finished.

I let out a sigh of frustration. What was it with all the women in my life trying to keep things from me? I've e always tried to be level headed and trustworthy.

"Why did you?" I questioned quite surprised that she would go against Babushka's warning, but also because normally she kept things from me until I dragged them out of her.

"To be honest I'm not sure if I should have, but you are the smartest person I know and I believe that you and I together and united are stronger than we are apart. I hope you will support me in this fight."

"Oh Roza I'm so glad you felt you could trust me. Babushka is right I don't like or agree with the ways she thinks it should be done. I don't want you to put yourself in the line of fire but if you have to be then I want to be standing right beside you fighting with you."

I got up and sat down beside her.

"I'm scared I'm going to lose you." She whispered a tear escaping her eye.

I wiped it away with my thumb and pulled her close to me cradling her in my arms.

"You will never lose me Roza. I promise I will be with you always in mind and soul even if I am not here in flesh."

I regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth because they only made her burst into a fit of sobs.

I held her until she quieted down.

"By the way the other night when you were so riled up and crazy ready to kill Adrian I channeled Lissa and she compelled you into calming down." She confessed."I didn't mean to do it. It just happened."

I let out a breath of air. "I know. I just didn't know if it was you or her." I wanted to tell her I was glad that it wasn't her, but realized that even if it wasn't she could still have control over it if the Princess willed it.

"I'm sorry either way." She told me.

"You have nothing to be sorry for my love. I am so glad you finally trust me enough to tell me everything."

"I trust you with my life, my heart and my soul." She responded placing a soft kiss on my lips.

UNKNOWN POV

"Did you set it up the way I requested it?" I asked.

"It's exactly as you wished. I knew that they wouldn't be able to resist the openings I so clearly led them to in the Chanticlear sub-division." My partner in crime responded with an evil laugh.

"They will be quite easy to get to seeing is it is entirely secluded with a separate entrance back there. My Dhampir accomplice will stake the wards around their entrance leaving your people a clean shot at them. Understand this I want Rosemarie Hathaway eliminated. The plan to change her is no longer acceptable. She is far too dangerous. "

"Would you like us to eliminate her lover as well? It is thought that he would be an excellent addition to our team.

"Turn him if you'd like I have no stake on him, but he will probably turn on you after if she dies. It may not be worth the risk."

"If I might ask what is it you stand to gain by allowing this attack?"

"I am ill and the only way I can beat it is to have Princess Dragomir turned Strigoi so she can do a permanent healing. You've seen that she can bring the dead back to life, but to heal and illness would be constant healings you know that well enough. In her Strigoi state she will possess enough power to pull the illness from my body."

"And what makes you think she will help you once turned? Strigoi are unpredictable and rarely cooperate and a Spirit using Strigoi will be even more difficult to control. I should know."

"She will do it I've already figured her reluctance into the plan."

"How is you end holding up? When do you anticipate being ready to strike?"

"My team is fully prepared for the attack. They know what is expected of them." I replied. "In fact things are progressing quite quickly on our end. We should be ready to move in two weeks time."

"That is sooner than I expected, but it should be enough time to make some necessary adjustments."

"How many are on your team?"

"I have seventy. I am very popular amongst the Strigoi. That should be enough to cause severe devastation among the Moroi and Dhampir community."  
"Yes and enough to cause them to panic and to grant me all the necessary powers I need to run things my way."

"And the deal you promised me?"  
"Of course I have not forgotten. You will have your wish just as soon as I am well."

"I will check back with you in a weeks time. Things should be in order by then."

**So who do you think the Unknown is and who do you think the other one is? I'd love to hear your theories. Please Review I love hearing your opinions and thoughts. **


	50. Chapter 50: All Hail Queen Bitch

**Chapter 50: All Hail Queen Bitch**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. If I did I would rewrite Spirit Bound to have Tasha be in jail for killing the Queen and Dimitri would have begged Rose for her forgiveness and they'd be making sweet lemonade all over the Royal Court. **

LPOV

I'd given Rose and Dimitri enough time to enjoy their first few nights together in their new house before interrupting them. Their shifts here at the Royal Court would not officially begin until after our trip to Hawaii. Having a few weeks off between graduation and starting their duty was something that was up to the Moroi they were assigned to. Christian and I were more than happy to agree to remain within the wards for a little under a month so that Rose, Dimitri and Eddie could have a short respite before beginning the task of keeping us safe. I knew that when it came down to it even if they were off duty they'd do everything in their power to protect us; I just really wanted Rose to be happy. I was about to bust the bubble they'd been living in for the past few days.

_Rose? _I knew she was training with Dimitri, but this was important so I interrupted.

_Yes I'm here what is it?_

_The Queen is requesting to see us._

_Damn just when I was starting to enjoy myself that Bitch had to make herself known. When does she want us?_

_Today around ten._

_Who just you and I? _

_She wants to see all of us, Dimitri, Christian, Eddie and Adrian._

_Oh joy now everyone gets to see her berate me in public._

_Rose be good. She can make things bad for us. So far she's been pretty lenient let's not piss her off._

_Yea yea see you in an hour._

I laughed. We'd only been here a few days and the Queen already thought I was her lapdog beckoning me to meet her on such short notice.

If I wasn't so happy right now I'd throw a fit. I know Rose was the one who tended to throw fits, but I think she was rubbing off on me.

I quickly changed into a white cotton sundress and wedge sandals. I was dreading telling Christian that the Queen had summoned us. He hated her almost as much as Rose.

"Do I have to?" he whined like a child.

"Yes you do. Now get dressed!"

"I am dressed."

I snorted. "You're not going in those ratty jeans and t-shirt with writing on it."

"Want to bet?" He challenged.

"Christian Ozera get your scrawny Moroi butt upstairs and put on a decent outfit to meet the Queen or so help me you won't get any for a month."

"Woah Chill out Liss." He stammered scrambling to get upstairs as fast as he could muttering under his breath.

"I can hear you." I screamed after him.

RPOV

I groaned as I hit the mats hard.  
"Rose you've got to pay attention. I shouldn't have been able to get that hit in on you." Dimitri scolded me.

"Sorry Lissa just told me Queen Bitch wants to see us at ten." I told him.

He helped me off the mat. "Rose you have to stop calling her that you're going to get in trouble."

"Yeah yea you sound like a broken record." I told him rolling my eyes.

I rubbed my back. I was extremely sore. The past few days Dimitri and I had alternated between brutal training sessions and intense lovemaking. My body was covered in bruises from both ordeals.

I laughed to myself as I recalled hitting my head on the shower wall last night. It was so worth it though.

"What does the Queen want?"He asked.

"To make my life a living hell?"

"Roza."

"I don't know. I guess we will find out when we get there."

Dimitri, Eddie and I all wore our traditional Guardian uniforms all black. Lissa and Christian met us outside. He looked about as happy as I was to be going to meet the Queen.

Last Adrian sauntered out of his house with a bottle of Vodka in one hand and a look of amusement on his face.

"Well hello there my Little Dhampir." He said slinging an arm around me. He wasn't walking quite in a straight line so I could tell he'd been up and drinking for a while.

"Isn't it bad form to see the Queen when you're drunk?" Asked Christian sarcastically.

"Not for me I'm the favorite. Anyways I can't deal with that witch while sober it's maddening." He griped taking another swig of Vodka.

"I'd be inclined to agree with Adrian Sparky."

We were let into the Queens chambers by her secretary. She had a slew of Guardians surrounding the perimeters of her office, but dismissed all but two upon our arrival.

"It's so good to see you Vasilissa." Greeted Tatiana in one of those fakey nice tones you used on people you hated, but were forced to be nice to for one reason or another.

"Your majesty." Lissa said and we all bowed.

"Lord Ozera good to see you again."

Christian nodded in reply.

"Adrian how is my favorite nephew?" she greeted him almost warmly.

"Auntie always a pleasure." He slurred hugging her with one arm. If she noticed at all that he was hammered she didn't let on.

"Guardian's Belikov, Castile and Hathaway." She nodded in our direction a slight look of distaste crossed her face when her eyes rested on me.

"I trust you are finding your accommodations here at the Royal Court to your liking?" she directed at Lissa.

"Yes we are very happy. Everything is just perfect." Lissa told her honestly. For once I had to agree.

"Well if there's anything you need while you are here just put in a request with my staff and they shall make it happen."

"That is very kind of you." Replied Lissa. I could feel that although she was keeping her cool on the outside she was annoyed on the inside.

"I just wanted to welcome you all to my palace. I hope you find time to join some of our Royal committees." She said I'm sure she meant Lissa.

_So she did have ulterior motives for getting you here._

_I figured as much, but still I think we will enjoy staying here. It is safe with the wards so you guys can actually have time off. _

_Don't stay here for us. If you don't want to we will go wherever._

_Don't be silly Rose we just got here. Besides our houses are wonderful don't you agree?_

_You've got me there. I do love our house._

The Queen interrupted our internal banter with her grating voice.

"I hope to see you and Lord Ozera at our Independence Day Ball next week." She said.

"We wouldn't miss it." Lissa agreed. I could see Christian groan internally at the thought of having to endure a Royal Ball.

"Well I have many things on my agenda today. It was good to see you all and enjoy your stay." She said dismissing us rather quickly for which I was grateful.

"Oh and Adrian I was thinking it's been a long time since you've been home to Romania. Your father has requested your presence for a conference they'd like to have a Spirit user in house. You leave in three days so start packing."

"Yes, Auntie it has been a while. I will be ready to leave in three days." He responded dutifully.

As we left he muttered under his breath. "God help me I can't stand those Royal conferences."

"Sucks to be you." I told him with a laugh.

When we arrived back at our houses Christian spoke up.

"That was a little weird don't you think?"

"What?" asked Lissa.

"She was actually nice to us. Well nice for her at least. What do you think she wants?"

"Maybe she was having a good day." Said Lissa.

"I have to agree with Sparky." I piped in. "Something wasn't right with her. She's never that nice without an ulterior motive."

"I was wondering about that myself." Said Dimitri who had remained silent throughout our time with the Queen.

"Adrian did you notice anything funny about her Aura?" I asked.

"Hmm not really. It was a little hard to read due to my little friend here." He said holding up his empty bottle of Vodka.

I sighed. "Let's just be on the look out for anything strange. For all we know she's planning to drag Lissa and Adrian somewhere and force them to mate." I said with a laugh.

"So not funny." Said Lissa. Christian looked pissed at my comment.

"Hey it's not far from what she tried the last time we were here."

"True that Little Dhampir." Agreed Adrian.

**So why do you think the Queen is sucking up to them? What's up her sleeve? Please Review. If you don't I might have to write a Lemon between Dimitri and Janine! Hahaha that would be funny and really gross so save everyone's precious eyes from having to read it and review. **


	51. Chapter 51: Appearances can be Deceiving

**Chapter 51: Appearances can be Deceiving**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Richelle Mead owns all. **

**So last chapter you were missing some vital information. Here it is. I hope you like where this is going. **

APOV

My Aunt had summoned us to her chambers. She had been acting rather strange lately and I was curious. It was unheard of for such a young Royal to be allowed access to the type of housing Belikov had managed to arrange for Lissa and Christian Last of the Dragomirs or not. The only reason I was able to get it was my bloodline was directly linked with the Queen. I had begun to get suspicious when Belikov made the announcement at Graduation. My neighbors had been distant Ivashkovs but heavily into politics and had very close ties to my Aunt. It was strange that I hadn't had prior knowledge of their leaving the Royal Court. I checked into their departure, but became even more disturbed when I could not find any information on where they had gone or why.

My Aunt had become somewhat of a recluse over the past few months. Usually she summoned me to Court at least once a month and gave me a hard time about my drinking and over not having tied myself down to some Royal Moroi Bitch for some political alliance or another. She liked to coach me on ways to one-up Ozera and win over Lissa. What a joke. I was never interested in Lissa or politics, but she was my Aunt and I loved her so I allowed her to bounce her new ideas off me while I listened bored out of my mind, but always trying my hardest to appear as if I were paying great attention. She was one woman you didn't want on your bad side. In addition to her not summoning me to Court, she also stopped pestering me to join committees and attend other such irritating functions meant for Royals of our stature or so she called it.

As we were leaving for her chambers I ruffled my clothing and mussed my hair up a little. I hadn't fed so it would make me look sluggish. I strategically spilled Vodka down the front of my shirt and swished it around in my mouth so I wreaked sufficiently enough to appear intoxicated. In truth I hadn't had anything to drink in over twenty-four hours.

I wanted to get a good take on my Aunt's Aura and I needed her to think I was wasted to do so. She always put up walls whenever she knew I was sober so I couldn't quite get a fix on her intentions, but she wouldn't do that if I could convince her that I was plastered. That shouldn't be hard to do seeing is that I'm usually plastered by this hour of the morning on a typical day.

I needed it to look as real as possible so I didn't let any of my friends in on my plan either.

I studied her Aura critically when no one was paying attention to the drunk in the corner. Sure enough she wrote me off as hammered the second she saw me or should I say smelled me.

She was being very overtly polite and nice well nice for her, but I could tell that on the inside she was agitated. Her Aura was burning with hatred and disgust especially when she glanced over towards Rose. She also did not appear to be as friendly to Lissa as she claimed to be. She held great animosity for her as well as Ozera. When she embraced me I could see regret, sadness and love appear in her Aura. I wondered what that was about.

Her Aura was also flickering slightly as if it were being snuffed out. I'd only seen this a few times once when my grandmother was dying and the other when Rose was lying beaten and bloody on the Belikov's couch.

The rest of the group knew something was off, but they dismissed it as her rearing her ugly head in the matchmaking department. I was sure that wasn't the case so I staggered off as if I were still drunk and went into my house.

Her Aura showed worry and nervousness when she told me I'd be traveling to Romania in three days. I'd agreed to appease her although I had no intention of flying the coup when my friends were in such danger. Nor would I attend some Royal meeting to represent Spirit. I would not allow them to use me as their lab rat. In fact she seemed relieved that I had agreed so easily. It was like she wanted desperately for me to be away from the Royal Court for some reason.

This was bad because she had me scheduled to leave in three days. That meant whatever she was planning was going down soon. I couldn't imagine what it could be. I turned on my computer and began searching for the answers I needed. I wanted to find something concrete before I involved the others. I had to be sure she was up to something no good before I outright accused her of anything. Even I as her favorite could be tried and convicted of treason and blasphemy against the Queen.

Her Aura had looked as if maybe she were hiding the fact that she was ill. I decided to hack into the mainframe of the Royal Court's infirmary. Most people thought since I spent most of my time drinking and smoking that I was useless and stupid which I had to say worked to my advantage most of the time. I may be lazy and a lot of other bad qualities, but stupid was not one of them. I'd learned long ago to hack into almost any computer I wanted. Hell I had to do something with my time while everyone else was in school. I'd actually taken several computer programming classes online and made some pretty interesting friends over the internet.

They had taught me how to hack almost anything. It only took me a few minutes to bypass the rather uncomplicated firewalls they had set up. I searched for Tatiana Ivashkov in the patient records, but came up empty. Why would there be no records for her unless they had anticipated someone getting into their files and were hiding vital information. I thought of any other alias she could have used and after trying variations on her first, middle and last name came up empty I came across a file labeled Patient X.

It by itself had its own personal security codes which I easily bypassed. These people were certainly not skilled. I didn't even use any real knowledge to accomplish this task. The file opened and before me was a complicated battery of tests and medical trials. It said the patient was female, age sixty-three, Moroi and specialized in Air. (No idea what she specialized in or how old she was so I made it up.)

It showed that she had Sandovsky's Disease which was the same Disease that Victor Dashkov had suffered from. It showed she was in the early stages, but despite all kinds of clinical trials, blood transfusions and medications her case was becoming progressively worse.

This had to be my Aunt's file. She fit the description exactly. "Oh Aunty what's happening?" I groaned.

I loved my Aunt, but she was not always fair and just and most of the time she was entirely self-serving. I can't believe that she would just invite Lissa here without having any plans to force her to heal her. Maybe that is what she is planning to do while I am in Romania. She couldn't get it from me because I wasn't as skilled as Lissa was.

I went an extra step and hacked into her personal banking files even the ones I knew she though no one else knew about. I'd stumbled across them a few years ago while randomly trying to crack passwords out of boredom.

There was one transaction in particular that caught my interest. A large sum of money had been transferred to the prison that Victor Dashkov was in. I quickly checked into the prison records and realized that his were missing. It was as if he'd never been there.

Things were much worse that I'd imagined. Not only did I have to worry that my Aunt was up to something where Lissa was concerned, but Victor Dashkov was no longer safely behind bars. I wondered if the two were working together.

No. I thought to myself. She's not that crazy. She wouldn't have helped a convicted felon escape prison would she? I sighed and scratched my head. I ached for a nice bottle of something Russian possibly Vodka. No I needed to stay sober. This could not wait. I needed to find out what was going on once and for all and if Victor was on the loose then the game had just become even more dangerous.

I decided I needed to talk to someone about what I'd discovered and fast. I could only think of two people I could involve in this that would possibly be able to help. I picked up my phone and dialed.

"Don't say anything. It's Adrian and I need to see you right away. Don't tell anyone and I mean anyone who you are meeting. I have information about a possible attack on the Princess. Come alone."

I made another similar phone call. I gathered all the information I had and made my way to the upstairs apartment above my townhouse. It would serve as a meeting place until I was ready to share with the rest of the group. I just hoped that my Aunt didn't suspect that I'd figure things out and bug my apartment.

**So what do you think? I am dying to know… Please Review. Who do you think Adrian called? If you guess right I will use your name in a future chapter. Who you gonna call? **


	52. Chapter 52:That's Not How You Make Bread

**Chapter 52: That's Not How You Make Bread**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters or plotline. **

**Your response to my last chapter was awesome so I am making this chapter extra long for you.**

**Okay so we learn who Adrian called a meeting with and a little bit more about the whole Strigoi plan and the Queen, we also have a short lemon from our happy couple. Yay! **

DPOV

I was just finishing up the lunch dishes with Roza when my cell phone vibrated.

"Belikov." I answered dutifully.

"Don't say anything. It's Adrian and I need to see you right away . Don't tell anyone and I mean anyone who you are meeting. I have information about a possible attack on the Princess. Come alone." He said and the line went dead.

"Who was on the phone?" asked Rose curiously glancing at me from where she was sitting on the couch painting her fingernails a very odd shade of orange. I found her odd quirks to be very endearing.

I had to think fast. I couldn't tell her who it was and I couldn't say it was someone she would possibly run into so I thought on my feet after all that is what I was trained to do.

"It was Guardian Koulter a friend of mine who is stationed here at Court. He found out I was here and wanted to meet up to spar like we used to." I lied. I hated lying to her, but I needed to know what information Ivashkov had and he'd said not to tell anyone and I knew he specifically meant Rose.

She looked at me funny and for a minute I thought she had caught me in my lie.

"That's nice. I'm glad you have a friend here. Are you going now?" she asked turning back and focusing her attention on her nails.

"Yes, I am going now if that's okay with you." I added for good measure. Man she really had my balls in her pocket.

"Sure, I haven't spent much time with Lissa lately and it would be nice to have a girly afternoon. You'll be back for dinner?" she questioned.

"Of course if I wasn't you'd starve." I chuckled walking over to where she was sitting so I could kiss her goodbye.

"I love you Comrade." She said kissing me softy on the cheek. I held her close for a minute breathing in the fresh scent of her hair.

"I love you too Roza."

I went all the way around the outside of the house and used the side entrance to Ivashkov's. On the way I noticed that I wasn't alone. Abe was cutting across the lawn. He was alone. His Guardians were nowhere to be found. I don't think I'd ever seen him without his Guardians. This must be quite serious for him to come alone.

"Belikov." He greeted me.

"Mr. Mazur." I nodded respectfully.

"He said to meet in the upstairs apartment." Abe said gruffly. Things between us were tense as usual. I followed him up the stairs.

When we arrived Ivashkov looked completely sober. It was odd because I could have sworn he was drunk off his ass two hours ago.

"What information do you have?" Abe asked getting straight to the point.

He began to explain how he'd suspected something was off with the Queen, how he'd faked being drunk to get a read on her Aura and what happened after. He showed us everything he dug up. I had to hand it to him he was very perceptive. He was turning out to be a valued asset to the group after all.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair which was getting long. I was in need of a good haircut.

"So you think her ultimate plan is to what?" I asked. I had theories of my own, but I wanted to hear theirs first.

"I'm not sure. I mean obviously she's arranged for Victor Dashkov to escape from prison. He has to be about dead by now though. Lissa healed him, but it wasn't permanent. He would have begun to show signs of illness some time ago. " Ivashkov mused.

"So you think he is working with Strigoi to capture the Princess again to heal him and the Queen as well?" I asked. "Does Lissa even have enough power to do two massive healings?" I asked rhetorically.

"It's a possibility. One of my main concerns is why she moved my neighbors out and has pretty much arranged for us to live in paradise, but why? She's not exactly known for her sweet grandmotherly like demeanor."

Abe was standing over the table scrutinizing the paperwork Ivashkov had pulled together and a map of the Royal Court. He'd remained silent throughout the entire explanation and discussion which worried me somewhat.

"She is planning something much larger. She has basically isolated Princess Dragomir, Lord Ozera and my daughter from everyone else here at Court by placing them back here. There is a private entrance. It makes for a very pleasant and secluded place to live, but also an easy target for an attack. There are miles of empty space between us and the rest of the Court. If someone were to work with humans and take out the wards in the back there the first place to be hit would be the Chanticlear Lake Townhouses and no one would even notice not for at least an hour or so. That leaves time for Strigoi to do some major damage and allows the element of surprise for the rest of the Court."

My heart began to race at the accusations he'd just made. It made so much sense. I cannot believe I didn't see it before. Well there were certain details I'd been missing such as Victor's escape and Tatiana's illness, but still. It was far too easy that I was able to set up our housing and live with Rose. The Queen hated Rose and would have put up a fit at having her treated like royalty which we practically were for the time being. How could I have been so dense? I basically set it up so Rose and the Princess were in the worst possible danger.

"Do you think that Tatiana had anything to do with Rose being taken?" I asked.

"It's a good possibility. She could have tried to change Rose so that she would get to Lissa and force a healing." Said Abe.

"Yes, but the healing would not be permanent she has to know that from Victor's case. And how does the Spirit user who invaded Rose's dreams fit in?" asked Ivashkov.

"There are a lot of things to consider and many possibilities of what could happen. We know the time frame, but not the exact plan. We need to move quickly. I will use my network to find out if anyone has heard anything, but we have to keep this relatively quiet. If she gets an inkling that we are on to her she may attack sooner or change her plans altogether." Abe explained.

"So we think her targets are Rose and the Princess?"

"I think that would be a likely guess and since she planned on me being gone I can probably count myself off the list."

"From what I gather those are the two she wants. I am sure she wants Rose dead by now and the Princess alive. You and Ozera are just fodder. They'll kill you if you get in their way or to prevent witnesses. I don't think they are counting on us figuring out their plan." Said Abe. He looked entirely flustered.

I knew Rose was a handful and she could rub people the wrong way at times, but to want her dead that badly was beyond my comprehension. She'd done nothing personal to the Queen although she had been accused of having relations with Ivashkov at one point . That still wasn't enough to want someone dead though.

"Here's a good question. Who do we tell about this new development?" Asked Ivashkov.

"Well I believe that I will clue in my Guardians and Janine." Replied Abe.

"I won't keep this from Rose. It's her life on the line and she needs to be prepared." I said honestly. I wouldn't think of keeping this from her. She needs to be able to protect herself and the Princess.

"I agree Rose should know." Adrian said with a heavy sigh.

"I suppose you are right. I'd like to shelter her from this, but truth is she's a warrior and an adult and I will have to get used to it." Griped Abe regretfully. I am not ashamed to have a Dhampir daughter. I am proud of the strong independent woman she has become, but it would be so much easier if she were safe from all of this instead of the one in charge of it." He sighed.

"I know how you feel." I sympathized.

"What about Ozera, the Princess, her other Guardian and the Belikovs?"

"I think we should clue them all in. We're going to need Castile and Ozera to fight maybe Tasha too. Are there any other people we trust to help us and not leak information to the Queen?"

"Hmm I'd be very hardpressed to tell anyone here at Court anything. There are spies everywhere." Said Abe.

"Okay then let's agree to keep it between us."

We agreed to call a meeting later that evening in Ivashkov's upper apartment. I of course was going to clue Roza in first and Abe would inform Janine.

"Roza are you home?" I called out as I entered our house. God how I loved to say our house. I didn't get an answer right away. It was nearly dinner time and I could smell something coming from the kitchen. It was not a good something. It was something burnt. As I drew closer there was black smoke billowing out of the room.

"Roza?" I called out again as I choked on the smoke.

I rushed quickly into the kitchen anticipating it to be on fire. Instead and much to my relief I found Rose sitting at the breakfast nook on a stool. She had on an apron and oven mitts. She sat with her elbows on the bar and she was scowling at a blackened loaf of bread on the table in front of her. At least I thought it was bread because it was charred beyond being edible.

She looked up at me.

"I can't do anything right." She whined huffing.

I had to laugh she was so cute sitting there in her little apron and mits all hot and bothered with her arms crossed and a pout on her face.

"Oh Roza! You do many things well. Cooking is unfortunately not one of them." I told her as I pulled up a stool next to her.

She continued to pout as she poked a knife at the hard lump in the pan in front of her.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you. Your mom gave me a recipe for black bread. She says it's your favorite. Probably not anymore." She said looking down at the counter in front of her.

"I can teach you how to make it if you want." I told her. "It's quite difficult especially if you haven't made it before." I explained. "Not everyone gets it right the first time. I burned many loaves before I got the hang of it." I tried reassuring her.

Her mood picked up a little. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course. Now let's throw that away and start over." We still had a few hours before our meeting would take place. I picked up the lump of charred bread and tossed it into the waste basket. It landed with a really loud thud. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Rose just glared at me with a look that said you're lucky I didn't make you eat it and boy was I ever lucky. If she'd asked me to try it I would have had to choke it down. I grimaced at the thought.

I showed her how to measure ingredients and knead the dough. I told her that she had to be precise in her measurements and wait the appropriate amount of time for the bread to rise. I then showed her the bread machine that was packed away in my things. I'd brought it from home when I left Russia. My mother insisted I take it with me so I could always make my bread and think of home. I was glad I had brought it.

"This should make it a lot easier using the machine." I told her. "Se there is a built in timer so it knows when to stop even if you're not around."

"That would be helpful." She said with a slight laugh. I looked at her all covered in flour and her hair all mussed with a slight sheen of sweat on her beautifully tanned skin and a strong wave desire swept over me.

"Roza I whispered softly, grabbing her and pushing her roughly against the refrigerator before assaulting her with open mouthed kisses all over her face, lips, neck and bare shoulders. My hands roamed over her curvacious hips.

"You are so sexy in that little apron I need to have you right now." I told her as I pulled her up onto the counter and began to remove her clothes.

"Oh Comrade." She moaned as I caressed her now bare breasts drawing circles over her taught nipples. She moved to take off the oven mitts, but I stopped her.

"Leave them." I told her.

"Well aren't you kinky." She giggled as I removed her cotton shorts and slid down the zipper on my pants. Once our clothing was gone I took her forcefully right there on the kitchen counter.

Thirty minutes later we lay in a tangled heap of arms and legs in the middle of the kitchen floor. We were both buck naked, sweaty and panting.

"Well you sure showed me how to make bread." She giggled moving to rest her head on her elbow so she was looking right at me.

"Hmm that isn't how my mother makes it." I joked.

"Eew Dimitri! That's gross. Please do not bring up your mother after we've just had dirty sex all over the kitchen." She exclaimed with disgust.

I laughed. I would never tire of being with her.

It was getting late though and I needed to tell her about the meeting.

"As much as I would love to lie here naked all night with you we've more pressing issues to attend to." I told her reaching for my pants that had landed somewhat close to where we were now lying.

**So who wants some Russian Black Bread from Dimka and Roza's kitchen? I know I'd like to have Dimitri in an apron and nothing else running around my kitchen=) Review if you agree with me or Review because this was an awesome chapter. **

**You knew he was going to call Abe..He's like the Turkish Mafia=)**


	53. Chapter 53: Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 53: Calm Before the Storm**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or Rose or Dimitri or Adrian…damn how I wish I did! **

**Anyways sorry about the late update. My grandfather passed away last week and I've been busy with the funeral and my family. He was 89 and will be missed but luckily lived a full life. **

**So I've also delayed my update because I have been working furiously on an outline for the sequel to this story. How many would be interested in reading it? I know you haven't even finished this one, but I don't want to crank out an entire fic and have no one want to read it. So please let me know in a PM or a review if you'd be interested. I've only got a few chapters left of this story to go. Wish Rose and Dimitri good luck with their battle cause here it comes! **

RPOV

"Uh oh he was in Guardian mode. I wondered what had happened. He seemed so carefree and easygoing just a few minutes ago and now he looked tense as he dressed quickly and began to pace.

I put on my clothes and regarded him closely. "Something tells me that you lied to me about where you were going earlier." I said calling him out.

He didn't even try to hide the guilty look that crossed his face.

"Yes I did and I am sorry, but there was good reason. I need to tell you something and you need to promise me you won't react spontaneously." He said in a stern tone which I knew not to question him when he used it.

"Okay where were you?" I asked casually trying to stay calm although the fact that he'd lied to me so soon after we'd vowed not to lie to each other made me a little angry.

He took a deep breath and led me over to the couch in the sitting area.

"The phone call I received earlier was from Adrian. He said he had news on a possible attack and to come alone. I did as he requested so that I could get the necessary information."

I was a little confused as to how Adrian of all people would have information on an attack. He was drunk off his ass at nine-thirty this morning.

Dimitri continued to tell me how Adrian had faked being drunk because he was concerned that Tatiana was hiding something. He continued the story about the Queen and finding the information on her suffering from the same disease as Victor. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been until the next sentence spilled out of his mouth.

"She broke Victor Dashkov out of jail?" I screeched jumping off the couch. I was seething. How could she be so stupid as to do that after what he'd done to Lissa?  
"Roza." He warned putting his hands on my shoulders to try and get me to sit back down.

I could feel Lissa had been drawn into my head and was now shaking with terror.

_Who let him out of jail? Where is he? Is he the one behind the attack on the Academy? _

I could hear her wild thoughts and extreme panic was coming through the bond.

_Liss why don't you come over here and we'll talk. You shouldn't be alone. Bring Sparky and Tasha._ I told her.

"Rose?" Dimitri asked shaking my shoulders slightly.

"Sorry Lissa felt me panic and she is freaking out about Victor." I told him.

He nodded in understanding and held me close to him while we waited.

A few minutes later Lissa, Christian and Tasha burst through the door and into our living room. Lissa looked visibly shaken. Sparky looked angry and Tasha looked like she was handling it pretty well so far. She'd faced worse I guess and had the scars to prove it. So it made sense. I was actually relieved to have her here. She could be of some use in a fight. She was pretty well trained in her fire magic.

Once we were all settled into our seats we waited anxiously for Dimitri to restart his story from the beginning.

Throughout his entire monologue I could feel Lissa's emotions going up and down and side to side. She was angry to terrified to crying in a matter of a minute. Christian was holding her close and stroking her hair gently. I was so glad he was there to take care of her like that. I could see how much he truly cared for her and to be honest her ups and downs were making me seasick.

"So Dimka what you're saying is that Tatiana is sick. She made it seem as if Victor was never in jail and has set him free, and she is planning on attacking Lissa and the rest of is in three days time?" Tasha asked for clarity.

"That about sums it up." He said grimly.

_What are we going to do Rose? Do you think he's working with Strigoi?_ asked Lissa.

_Do you think she is the one behind you being taken to Russia? _

_Calm down Liss. I won't let her hurt you. I will protect you at any cost._ I told her honestly.

But Rose maybe we should just leave and go somewhere like we did before. Then we'll be safe.

_No Liss we can't run anymore. People need to see the Queen for the truly hideous person she is and we need to put a stop to her antics once and for all or we will constantly live in fear._

_You're right. _She agreed sadly. _But Rose I'm afraid. _

_Of what?  
That I'll lose you cause you'll keep your promise and do something stupid trying to protect me. _

_Liss I've told you before they come first! You come first._

"If you say that one more time Rose I'll kill you myself!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The entire room stood silent just waiting to see what would happen next. I shook my head and decided to ignore her for the time being. I turned to the others.

"So we're going to fight." I stated.

"You're damn straight we are." Said Adrian as he walked in with Abe, my mother, his guardians, Eddie and Mia behind him.

"Well now that the troups are all filled in it's time to come up with a plan." Said Abe.

"Let's get down to business."

RPOV

Two days had passed and as each second on the clock ticked away I became more and more nervous. Abe, Dimitri and Adrian had come up with a plan. It seemed to be the best option given the situation, but I was still very nervous and Yeva's words were still haunting me. She had told me I needed to do this alone. I didn't know if I'd made the right choice in involving Dimitri, but it seems as if he'd be involved anyways by how Adrian had called that little secret meeting.

It was well into the Moroi night meaning it was bright as hell outside and I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned for a while, but eventually got up and went downstairs to pace in the kitchen. I didn't want to wake Dimitri.

I hit the button for the automatic blinds that covered the floor to ceiling windows that lined our kitchen and living room. As they rose I couldn't help but admire the way the light illuminated the room. Little patches of light danced along the walls like magic. The crystals from the chandelier in the dining room made tiny dancing rainbows on the opposite wall. I watched for I don't know how long and was finally able to tear my eyes away from the brilliance of the lights long enough to brew a strong pot of coffee.

I thought about the plan and how difficult it was going to be for me having Lissa so close to a fight. I couldn't risk getting sucked into her head, not while I was fighting. Another thing that was a little disturbing was how readily Dimitri agreed to let me fight. He'd been dead set against it before, but I guess he finally realized that it was for the best and that I'd be an asset to the battle.

The plan was to act normal, but sleep in shifts. Abe, Dimitri, Me, Christian, Lissa and Janine would take first watch. Pavel, Sergei, Tasha, Adrian, Eddie and Mia would take the second. Abe had enlisted the help of six other privately hired Guardians that he had dealt with in the past. Three would be on each shift. That left us with twelve highly trained Guardians, three fire users, two Spririt users and a water user. We figured that they would stake the wards at sunset tomorrow. Adrian's plane was supposed to leave at noontime for humans.

He was going to board the plane and compel the pilot and guardians to think he was on board and tell them that when they landed to call the Queen and tell them that they'd all reached their destination safely and everything was right on track. Then he would double back and lay low with the rest of us.

Lissa and Adrian had already infused the wards with their Spirit magic allowing us to know the moment the wards were broken because Adrian and Lissa would be able to feel it. This would serve as an early warning system kind of like how I can sense Strigoi when they are near. Once the alarm was triggered we would split into two teams a front line and a back line. Guardians would be the first line and Moroi would form the second.

Lissa and Adrian would use their dark spirit magic to cause the Strigoi to see things that were not there and to fight amongst each other using their compulsion. Then the fire users would light them up as a distraction for us Guardians to stake them. Mia would use the fountain in the Courtyard as her own personal fire hose and pelt the Strigoi straight in the eyes if the fire users couldn't get them all.

I didn't like the idea of Lissa and Adrian fighting especially with all the darkness they would incur while using such dark magicks. I was particularly concerned with the possibility that I would get out of control from her darkness and hurt someone from our side. Dimitri assured me that he wouldn't let that happen, but it still made me uneasy.

"What are you doing down here Roza? You need to sleep." Dimitri said coming up behind me.

"You know that's not going to happen Comrade. I'm too keyed up." I told him. "Everyone I care about will be at risk tomorrow. I can't lose anyone."

"I know. Do you understand how hard it is for me to fight knowing that you are in danger? You are everything to me and if anything happens to you I'll never forgive myself."

"Hey don't worry about me. I was trained by the best." I said trying to lighten the mood.

"I promised to protect you Roza and last time I wasn't able to do anything. I felt so powerless. When they took you a part of me died right then and there." He said his voice thick with emotion.

"You saved me though. You came after me even though it was against your better judgment and I am just fine." I tried to reassure him that it wasn't his fault.

"We got lucky Roza. What are the chances of being that lucky twice in one lifetime?"

I lay my head on his chest not wanting to agree with him verbally. I sought comfort as he held me close. There was no doubt in my mind that we wouldn't be so lucky to come out on the other side with no casualties. I just didn't know who would be lost.

**Dun dun dun … cue ominous music here! Hehe I know I am evil for leaving you here. Next chapter will have the fight. So I'm trying to write that sequel do you want it? If you want it tell me how much! Also who do you think will die? Will anyone die? Which side will win or will I leave you with a cliffy until the sequel. HAHA I'm not that evil…Talk to me…=)**


	54. Chapter 54: The Final Battle

**Chapter 54: The Final Battle**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. **

**Lissa: ****OMG I am so nervous someone is going to die! **

**Rose: Stopy whining! **

**Lissa: Please don't kill anyone off!**

**Me: You'll just have to read and see! **

**Lissa: Gulps! **

**So the results of the POLL were interesting 25% said Tatiana will die and almost as many think Victor! Guess you'll have to read and see. **

**RPOV**

The room was silent as we gathered around the breakfast table. Our sleep shift was up and the next was about to go down. This would possibly be our last meal together. I looked around the table at my parents, Adrian, Tasha and Christian, Eddie and Mia, Lissa, and finally Dimitri. Would I survive if I lost any one of them? I didn't think so. I was determined that we were all going to walk out of this alive.

The mood was solemn as the second shift said goodnight and the rest of us took our places. We had decided that we'd all keep watch in our townhouse since it was in the middle and had the largest windows that we could see out of if necessary. We sat around the dining room table. Lissa and Christian were huddled together. Abe's Guardians kept to themselves. My parents were silently sitting side by side with their hands entwined. Dimitri was standing against the far wall and I across from him.

It was nearly sunset and you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.

_Rose_?I heard Lissa call to me through our bond.

_Yea I'm here. _

_Can we talk privately?_

_Aren't we doing that?_

_I mean in the other room._ I got up and silently followed her out of the room.

_I made this for you. _She said handing me a large silver medalian on a thick chain.

_What is it? _I asked curiously taking it from her hands and slipping it around my neck. The instant I did I felt a jolt surge through me.

_It's a charm. Adrian and I put everything we had into it you know to keep the darkness as far away from you as possible in case we have to tap into our dark magic. _She said. I could feel how nervous she was about having to call on that magic. The same magic she had used on Jesse Zeklos the night of the first attack. I had caught extreme darkness from her that night and it took everything Dimitri had in him to hold me back.

_Thanks. I can actually feel the magic. _I told her. _How did you get the idea for this?_

_Dimitri's grandmother. She told me it was imperative that you have this or we couldn't win the battle. She even told us how to infuse it with our magic. It was much more complicated than just making a simple charmed ring._

_It must be very powerful I usually cannot feel the magic. _

_Rose I need you to promise me you'll be careful out there and that you won't do anything to get yourself killed. _

_Liss you know I can't promise you that. I'm your Guardian and it's my job to lay down my life for you and I will in a hearbeat for you, for my family or my friends. That's just who I am._

_I know that is what you think you have to do, but please. I need you. I can't lose you. _She pleaded with me.

_I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect you, but also to keep myself here with you. _

I was speaking honestly. I didn't want to die. I would die for her if I had to but I much preferred a scenario in which we all came out of this alive.

All the sudden I felt pure terror coming through the bond.

_Rose the wards are down! _

I quickly sprung into action.

"Liss go wake the others now." I told her. "Run." She did as I asked.

Dimitri knew by the look on my face as I entered the kitchen that it was time. It took only seconds before the rest of our team was downstairs, armed and ready.

With Dimitri and I at the front of the line we headed out to meet our doom.

We walked to the area we had designated the upper ground for us to fight. It was not far from where we lived and we reached it quickly. We didn't know how many Strigoi to expect and we would probably be outnumbered, but we couldn' t risk informing anyone here at Court who could be working with the Queen.

"You stay behind don't get physical." I directed the Moroi. "Magic only. If they get past us your one and only job is to run as fast as you can and alert the others . You got that?" I called out.

They nodded in unison, but I could tell that they wouldn't leave so easily. I could feel that Lissa wanted to stay with me until the end.

"Sparky you make sure she runs okay." I told him.

He nodded. "Don't worry I will."

I wish his promise was reassuring.

We waited and it wasn't long before my early warning system was set off. I doubled over in extreme pain.

"Rose?" Dimitri asked taking a step closer to me.

"They're here." I choked out.

"How many?" asked Abe.

"Too many." I replied. The pain was so bad I didn't know if I would be able to stand upright let alone fight.

"Are you okay to fight Little Dhampir you're aura doesn' t look so good." Adrian commented with worry.  
That had Janine, Dimitri and Lissa practically breathing down my neck to make sure I was okay.

"Don't!" I cried out. "Focus on the fight. Stop worrying about me it could distract you and cost us a life." I said trying to maintain an even tone. They backed off.

"There have to be at least fifty maybe more." I heard gasps all around.

"We can do this just remember what your job is." I said trying to encourage them.

It was just another minute or so until we saw them coming straight for us.

The Guardians stood poised and ready to attack anything that moved.

The first few Strigoi to reach us lunged and I thought this is it we're all going to die. There were hoards of them pouring in. I couldn't even count them there were so many.

I prepared myself to strike out, but realized that the Strigoi who had leapt at us had not made it that far. At least ten were crouched on the ground holding their hands over their ears. I turned around to see Lissa and Adrian with their hands clasped together chanting. We Guardians took this opportunity to stake the ones that were cowering in pain.

The next wave was already upon us. Dozens of Strigoi got closer and closer. As they came forth some burst into flames and others jumped around like something invisible was attacking them. Again we moved in and staked them. This could go on forever. Everytime I staked one there were two to take its place.

There were so many now that the Moroi could not keep up and us Guardians went onto our hand to hand combat. I could hear punches being thrown and bones cracking as we fought numerous amounts of the evil beasts. After a while I could tell that the Moroi strength was waning and the Guardians were tiring. Abe was lighting them up as quickly as Dimitri and Eddie could stake them. I had no idea what Lissa and Adrian were causing them to see, but they swatted at the invisible attacks leaving openings for Sergei, Pavel and the rest of Abe's Guardians. Sparky and Tasha had teamed up to start incinerating Strigoi instead of distracting. And as Mia was pelting them directly in the eyes with a deluge of water I was knocking them out and staking them one after the other.

There were Strigoi bodies everywhere, but we'd yet to lose anyone. As the battle raged on I could tell that some of the Guardians were nearing the point of exhaustion. Eddie was bleeding profusely, Sergei had taken a heavy blow to the back of the head and was trying hard to remain upright and my mother whom I'd never seen scared had a haunted look on her face as she stared blankly out at the sea of Strigoi still pouring into the Royal Court.

None had managed to get past us thus far, but I had a feeling that was going to change soon. While I was fighting I lost track of Lissa. I glanced around for her when I could manage and finally saw her about a hundred feet from me, when all the sudden I was sucked right into her head. This could not have happened at a worse time.

Through her eyes I could see what had been so upsetting to her that she had drawn me in. There leaning against a tree on the far side of the lot watching the battle was none other than Viktor Dashkov. He looked strong and healthy just like he had before he became sick.

With one quick motion he alerted the Strigoi nearest him to grab Lissa. I pulled back into my own head suddenly and ran as quickly as I could. I made it just in time to throw myself in front of Lissa. As I did I was aware of several things happening simultatneously. I felt the Strigoi's claws dig deeply into my chest so deep that I'm sure they clawed my insides raw, Lissa screaming my name so loud it was a wonder anything else could be heard, and feeling of blood running out of my body as I hit the ground.

**Whoops! Poor Rose! Do you think she'll survive? How many say yes?**


	55. Chapter 55: The Last Sacrifice

**Chapter 55: The Last Sacrifice**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**

**If I were you I'd get out a box of tissues for this chapter and I don't mean those dollar store kind either. I'm talking Puff's Plus with Lotion. **

**RPOV**

After I hit the ground things happened in slow motion. I was nearing unconsciousness, but in what would be my last few seconds of life Lissa grabbed the charm that was around my neck and lifted it over my head. She put it on herself and as she did let out the most blood curdling scream I've ever heard. In that moment a sound that I could only describe as brain melting was emitted as a piercing ray of light shot from the pendant out into the brigade of Strigoi.

Our whole team had stopped dead in their tracks and gaped at Lissa.

Once the Strigoi were illuminated Lissa, looking like a woman possessed called out in a commanding voice.

"Stay where you are. Do not move."

One by one each Strigoi stood perfectly still. It was as if she were compelling them all at once. Her body was rigid, but began to shake the longer she held them.

As the Strigoi stood still the Guardians and fire users , and Mia and Adrian sprang into action staking and burning until every last Strigoi lay in a heap on the ground. Once the last Strigoi had fallen the light that had come from the pendant and from Lissa went dead and she fell to the ground in utter exaustion. Christian ran to her side as fast as he could.

The fight was over, we had won. I felt safe knowing I was leaving my friends and family alive and well. Clinging hard to that thought I felt Dimitri cradle me in his arms.

"Roza stay with me it's okay you're going to be okay. Do not leave me. The fight is over. We did it. We won. Just hold on for me." He pleaded desperation in his voice.

"It's okay Comrade. I'm ready to go." I finally realized what Babushka's warning meant." I told him calmly as my life's blood ebbed away.

_The one who sacrifices everything will win._ She had said.

"I love you." I told him as the blackness took me over.

DPOV

I watched as Strigoi lunged for Lissa and as I expected like any good Guardian Rose threw herself directly in between them. The Strigoi had nearly ripped her in two. I could see the blood dripping from her open wounds. My heart constricted and I knew that this was it. We were going to lose this battle and the love of my life had been the first to go. It took all I had to remain in an upright position and not to run to her and throw myself over her broken body.

What I didn't expect was in the second it took for Rose to fall. Lissa screamed like a banshee, ripped off the pendant Rose had been wearing and put it on herself. As she did a strange look came over her and a high pitched sound pierced the air. Just then a beam of light protruded from Lissa through the pendant and lit up the darkness. So much so that the Strigoi became confused.

Then in an almost inhuman voice she commanded them to stay where they were. To my utter amazement they stopped and stood where they were their eyes on Lissa. It was like she was compelling them all at the same time. This was the opening we needed. We sprung into action and even Adrian and Mia picked up stakes and began to rid us of the undead. I staked as fast as I could as getting to Roza was my only coherent thought.

When the last Strigoi corpse hit the ground the Princess's necklace shut off the light and she fell to the ground next to Rose. Christian was the first to make it to them and began to check for a pulse on the Princess.

I ran faster than I ever though possible and pulled Roza into my arms. Her eyes were open, but the light was slowly fading as she became weaker and weaker. I looked over at the princess who was unconscious. She had saved everyone, but would not be able to save Roza.

"Roza stay with me it's okay you're going to be okay. Do not leave me. The fight is over. We did it. We won. Just hold on for me." I pleaded with her desperately.

"It's okay Comrade. I'm ready to go." I finally realized what Babushka's warning meant." She told me as she slowly slipped away from me.

_The one who sacrifices everything will win._ Is what Babushka had told her.

"I love you." She whispered as she took her last breath. The love of my life died in my arms.

**Well I can feel the hate mail starting to pour in already. Yes I did it! I killed Rose! It was necessary. She had to save everyone. Can one really kill off the main character in a book without losing all the readers? We'll find out soon enough. **

**Sorry this chapter is so short, but believe me I had to cut it here for dramatic effect. My advice to all of you is to stick with me. I have some tricks up my sleeve still yet to come. **

**Please Review even if it is to yell at me. I like it! Poor Dimitri! **


	56. Chapter 56: Did We Get Them?

**Chapter 56: Did We Get Them?**

**Okay so I got a ton of hate mail, but it was so worth it. Trust me Rose had to die. It was the plan all along. Anyways I hope Richelle Mead doesn't make Rose the last sacrifice like I did. Anyways here comes some good stuff. Please review and tell me how much you love me after this chapter. I'm feeling a little unloved after all the I hate you's in the last batch of reviews. Sniff sniff=( Only a few chapters left**.

DPOV

"I love you." She whispered as she took her last breath. The love of my life died in my arms.

"No Roza. Please don't. Come back." I was frantic. I couldn't believe she was gone. It took everything I had to continue to live and breathe at that moment.

I glanced around me Abe was comforting a wrecked Janine. The princess was still passed out, but alive. Ozera was looking at Rose with tears in his eyes. Mia was sobbing into Eddies' shirt.

I didn't know what to do as I looked at the mass destruction we'd pulled off and all the death we had caused I realized to walk away with just one casualty on our side was still one too many. Why couldn't it have been me? I would have gladly traded places with her if it meant she'd still be breathing. I clutched her to my body whispering my love for her. I know she knew how much I needed her. How could she leave me like this? A sob ripped through my body as I stroked her cheek gently.

"Belikov. Step away from her." Said Adrian coming towards me.

"No I won't leave her here. I need to get her back to the hospital for a proper burial." I said not even aware of what was going on around us.

"Step away." He said again this time compelling me to do so using his magic.

As I backed away I watched as he slowly took Rose's pulse. Which I already knew was not there. He took a deep breath and stretched his hands over her wounds.

"Lord Ivashkov. No!" cried Janine stepping forward and grabbing his arm roughly. It was then I realized what he was about to do.

"I have to." He said wearily. "She can't die. Not like this."

"You don't know what will happen." She said softly.

"Do you honestly care?" he said gruffly.

She shook her head and stepped back to where Abe was standing. Abe nodded his head in approval.

"How do you even know you can do it?" asked Christian.

"I don't, but I have to try." He said. My brain was screaming at me that this was wrong. I knew I should stop him. It was the responsible thing to do, but in that moment I couldn't bring myself to move a muscle. I knew that I would give anything to have my Roza alive and breathing with her beautiful heart beating while she lay next to me safe in my arms.

He put his hands over her again and concentrated hard. Slowly but surely her wounds began to heal.

As he became too weak to remain upright and with his arms still outstretched over her lifeless body I grabbed him around the chest and held him upright.

I had serious doubts that what he was doing would be of any help. He wasn't as gifted in healing as Lissa was and she was not in any state to try it. I hoped to God that I was wrong, but at what expense. If he was able to bring her back would she go even more mad than usual? How would the Sprit affect her? Would she be taking it from both Lissa and him or would her bond with the Princess be severed at her death.

I held my breath and I realized that I didn't care about the consequences we could deal with them later. I wanted my Roza back and I was willing to risk anything for it. Her life was worth more to me than anything in this world.

APOV

As the light protruded from Lissa's pendant. I grasped the reality of what was happening. That crafty old Belikova witch had known exactly what was going to happen and had coached Lissa and me what do in case of extreme emergency. When I saw Lissa put the necklace on I knew we didn't have much time. The compulsion would only hold as long as Lissa could take the mental strain. I didn't know for how long maybe a few minutes maybe less. It had been the luck of the draw that she was the one to wear it. According to the witch it could have been either one of us. She gave it to Rose because she knew that when Rose fell the time would come to use the charm. How the witch knew that Rose would fall was beyond me. I'd stopped trying to figure out those psychic freaks long ago.

After what seemed like an eternity of staking it was over and no Strigoi remained. Lissa had collapsed and I turned to look at where Rose lay dead in Belikov's arms. I could tell she was dead because her Aura was gone. He was crying out in Russian. The pain he was feeling was unbearable. Just like the pain I was feeling. Losing Rose was not supposed to happen.

I walked over to where they were and I knew what I had to do. I had to bring her back. I didn't have faith that I was strong enough but I had to try.

I compelled Belikov away from her which was no easy task and laid my hands over her. Janine tried to stop me but it was futile. I was going to do this if it killed me. She couldn't be dead. I needed her in my life and the others could try to argue that this wasn't a good idea and maybe it wasn't, but they knew they wanted it as much as I did.

As I healed her I could feel that my strength was waning quickly. Her wounds were slowly closing up, but I had no idea if it would be enough to bring her back or even if she could be brought back a second time. As I was near exhaustion Belikov came up behind me and grabbed my shoulders to ensure I wouldn't fall.

As he held me upright I kept sending spirit into her. A few moments later I felt her chest rise slowly but surely beneath my hands. She had taken a breath.

"Little Dhampir please come back to me to us. We need you." I whispered with my last breath of energy before I succumbed to unconsciousness.

RPOV

I could feel the life creeping back into me. Lissa was healing me. I felt the familiar hot and cold sensation, but as I slowly regained my sense of hearing I realized that Lissa was not the one hovering over me. It was Adrian.

"Little Dhampir please come back to me to us. We need you." He whispered to me. It was then that I took my first breath of air and felt him collapse in a heap next to me. I slowly drew breaths of air in and out gasping for life. It was like I was breathing for the very first time and I had to learn how to do it all over again. Slowly I was able to open my eyes. Everything was blurry and distorted. I felt someone pick Adrian's body up from beside me. I hoped he was okay.

My eyes began to focus and I felt myself being scooped up.

"Roza? It's Dimitri can you hear me?" asked my angel pleading with me to answer him.

I looked up at him as he carried me back to our house. His eyes were beautiful chocolaty brown as usual, but they were marred with fear and stress. It was as if when he touched me I could feel his anxiety and pain. The immensity of his feelings were all but crushing me.

He set me down on the couch and knelt down next to me. He stroked my hair gently placing a lingering kiss on my forehead. I felt all of the love he had for me pour out of his heart as he clutched my hand to his chest.

"Please Roza can you hear me?" he asked again. This time I was able to give him an answer. The disorientation I had felt was ebbing away. I clutched his hand back and squeezed it with all the vigor I could manage. I felt him sigh with relief and some of the tension leave his body.

"Hey Comrade." I said softly smiling at him. "Did we get them?" I asked.

He smiled back at me tears of happiness glistening in his eyes.

"Yes, my love we got them." He responded pressing his lips to my hand.

**Okay that wasn't so bad right? She's alive now what do you think the consequences of bringing her back will be? Do you think she is still bonded to Lissa? Will she and Adrian be bonded as well? Will it drive her to insanity? What happened to Victor and the Queen? Please leave me some much needed love and your speculations for what's to come or I might just have to kill her again! **


	57. Chapter 57:You won't lock me in a closet

**Chapter 57: You Will Not Lock Me In a Closet!**

**Here's another wonderful chapter or at least I think it is. Anyways not one person guessed right about the bond. I thought someone would. Oh well guess you'll just have to be surprised. **

**Anyways not to be a bitch or anything, but I have received several comments on my quotation marks and a suggestion that I get a Beta. I have re evaluated my last three chapters and I found only one repeat instance of quotation marks being wrong and it was a very casual mistake that should not have been distracting. I would like to tell everyone that when Lissa and Rose speak through the bond there is no need for quotations because nothing is said aloud. If it gets confusing I am sorry. The reason I like posting and reading on this site is that you don't have to have a Beta and you don't have to work around someone else's schedule. I read and appreciate works on this site from all age groups, people whose first language is not English and teenagers who are still in school learning how to be proper writers. I am not a professional and I won't claim to be. I teach French not English and I may not know every grammatical rule or spell 100% of words correctly. I try my hardest to run my spell check and fix my mistakes, but I am only human and cannot catch every last one. If you like my story and want to read please do so. I am always happy to have reviews. Please don't take this rant personally. I just wanted to clear a few things up. I have read and reread my chapters and I do not find them to be too confusing to understand. Believe me when I say I've tried to read several stories on this site that had horrible errors in verb tense, use of homophones and extreme spelling errors. If I liked the story I muddled through it. Also yes this story is a little OOC it is stated in the description of this story. **

**Sorry I just felt I had to say that. Very excited about what is happening next so stay tuned. I hope my rand did not discourage reviewers. **

RPOV

"Help me sit." I requested.

I could feel his reluctance, but he helped me anyways. As soon as I was in an upright position I threw myself into his arms and let out all of my emotions from the past few days. He did the same. I don't know what came over me. I could not stop crying. Not sure if they were tears of happiness for being alive, relief that it was over or fear of what was to become of me now that I was shadowkissed yet again.

As Dimitri held me in his strong embrace I realized what had happened right before I died.

Lissa where's Lissa? I couldn't feel her. Oh my God I couldn't feel her. I tried slipping into her head.

I became frantic as I pulled myself away from Dimitri. He looked at me with worry.

"Roza what's the matter?"

"Where is Lissa? Why can't I feel her?" I was becoming increasingly paranoid as the seconds ticked by.

"Rose, do you remember what happened right before you…" he trailed off a pang of sadness rippling through his heart.

"It's okay you can say it." I told him. "Right before I died?" The pained look on his face as I said that made me regret being so blasé about it. If I had to watch him die I'd be just as upset if he treated it so casually.

"Dimitri I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way." I told him. He didn't look at me. He was doing that seeing without seeing thing that us Guardians are so good at.

"Do you think the bond was severed?" I asked quietly .

"I don't know Rose. I honestly don' t know." He said his voice taking a hard tone.

"You shoud go find Lissa. I need to call this in and get some Alchemists out here asap." He said before turning around and walking out the door. I felt as if there were a gaping hold in my chest the minute he walked out the door. I couldn't think about that right now I needed to find Lissa.

I walked aimelessley through their house and ours looking for any signs of her or Christian. I was just about to go over to Adrian's when I was violently sucked into Lissa's head. I looked through her eyes and as I took in her surrounding I couldn't help but gasp. She , Christian, Adrian, Tasha and Mia, and Abe were tied to chairs and gagged. Lissa was exhausted and fighting hard to keep awake. Adrian was completely unconscious. Lissa glanced to her left slightly and what I saw made my blood run cold. Three of my father's extra Guardians lay dead on the floor in a pile. Next to them my mother and Eddie were lying bruised and battered bound with ropes back to back. My mother was fighting to keep conscious, but Eddie was slumped over. His breaths were shallow. I surveyed the room further. No sign of Dimitri. Thank God they hadn't gotten him yet. Lissa jumped slightly as the door to Adrian's front room slammed open revealing four large Guardian's I recognized as personal Guardians to the Queen. They were carrying a very weakened and sickly looking Tatiana in their arms. I could feel the shock coming from Lissa. She'd known that it was possible the Queen was behind this, but she didn't actually believe it until just now.

"Well well Princess Vasilissa. That was quite a show you and your minions put on. Bravo! I didn't actually think Hathaway would have the nerve to sacrifice herself for you. Guess I was wrong." Sneered none other than a very healthy looking Victor Dashkov as he entered the room.

Lissa gasped. Christian looked murderous as did Abe. Mia looked confused and Tasha shuddered at the sight of him. She knew very well what he was here for.

"Rose is dead?" cried Lissa. "Christian Rose is dead?" she repeated in a shaky voice. I could feel her panic and sadness at the mention of my death.

"Oh you didn't know? So sorry to be the one to tell you." He said not sounding sorry at all. Good I thought. He thinks I'm dead. That gives me the element of surprise.

Lissa was sobbing uncontrollably now. No one dared spill the beans that I was still alive. Thankfully my friends were too smart for that.

Adrian was beginning to stir. "Adrian Ivashkov I thought I sent you out of town. Why did you not leave?" asked Tatiana in her grating voice.

Adrian regarded her with sad eyes. "Oh Auntie. I didn't want to believe you were capable of something like this, but now I see its true. Please tell me why you would hurt my friends like this and turn your back on your Kingdom?" he asked sadly.

Her voice softened. " I had no other choice. As you can see I am quite ill. The only way I can survive is through healing from a Spirit user." She explained.

"If you'd asked I would have tried to help you." He told her honestly.

"You can't help me unless you are Strigoi." She said flatly.

I could tell that realization had hit almost everyone in the room and I could tell by the look on Adrian's face that he was not exception.

"You orchestrated this whole thing and the attack on the academy to get Rose to turn to get to Lissa so you could turn her Strigoi so she could heal you?" asked Adrian incredulously.

"As a matter of fact I did and now sadly since you've become involved in this you'll have to die with the rest. You were supposed to be safely in Romania. Why didn't you leave when I told you to?" she screamed at him sending her into a fit of coughing.

"Because these people here Rose, Lissa, and the rest they are my family and I would never leave them to die. I had to fight for them." He shouted back.

"Your family? This crazy bunch of lunatics are you family? I'm your family Adrian. You should have never entagled yourself with that Hathway girl. She was bad news and only a Dhampir. You shouldn't associate yourself with such lowly company." She said giving a haughty look to my mother and Eddie and the pile of dead Guardians that lay on the floor. "

I'd heard enough I needed to get into that room, but there were four large Guardians. I needed help. Pyro and Tasha could be of some use even tied up. I needed to find Dimitri. I pulled myself from Lissa's head and realized I wasn't alone.

"Roza?" Dimitri was shaking me. "Where were you? I've been shaking you for ten minutes." He said. I could feel his worry. He thought I was going crazy.

"I'm fine. Where did you go? Why were you upset at me? Never mind we have bigger problems." I filled him in on what was going on next door and we called for back up. Pavel and Sergei my fathers' two Guardians had not been with the others and had returned to find us planning out how to attack.

I could feel that Dimitri didn't want me involved in this. He was trying to think of ways to leave me behind. He even contemplated tying me up and locking me in the closet so I'd stay safe.

That outraged me. "You will not lock me in a closet Dimitri Belikov! If you think I'm sitting this one out you're in desperate need of a mental health assessment." I yelled loudly shocking most of the people in the room.

"What how did you know what I was thinking?" he asked bewildered.

I thought about it for a minute. " I don't know. I just felt it. You thought "maybe I should tie her up and lock her in the upstairs closet so she won't follow me. She'll be angry, but alive. "

He looked ashamed and shocked at the same time.

"How is it possible that you knew that? It's like you read my mind." A knowing look flashed across his face.

I was clueless as to why I could tune myself into his thoughts and feelings. Right now he was surprised, upset, embarrassed that I knew what he'd been thinking and concerned that now he was going to have to allow me to come with to rescue them.

"Rose I was touching Adrian when he was healing you. Can you feel him?" he asked

I tried to focus on Adrian, but I couldn't get a read on him. I still felt Lissa and I vauguely felt Dimitri, but not Adrian.

"No I can't feel him." I told Dimitri. I could feel his confusion, but also the strong need to be in the other room fighting.

"Can we possibly talk about this later and go and rescue Lissa now." I asked impatiently.

"Yes, let's go." He nodded. "Be careful Roza. I can't lose you." He said pulling me closer and capturing my lips with his own. The kiss was brief, but I could feel what was in his heart.

**Well there you have it. Did anyone really think that this could happen? Just remember anything can happen in my imagination. Review if you want to be bonded to a hot Russian God! **


	58. Chapter 58: Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead!

**Chapter 58: Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead**

**Hehe this is one of my favorite chapters for two reasons. You'll see. Anways there are about 2 or three more chapters after this and then if you're lucky I will begin to post my sequel. Any ideas of who the next villain can be or what you'd like to see happen may be written into it. I have only the first few chapters done so far so it is very flexible. **

**Also VA is going to be a movie! YAY! Can't wait. Can you?**

RPOV

Dimitri and I, Pavel and Sergei burst through the doors to Adrian's sitting room.

The Guardian's were on high alert and came for us the second we entered. I took down one quite easily. My fighting was fueled by rage, but also he was no where near as highly trained as I was. I thought the Queen would have better fighters. Dimitri had incapacitated another of the Guardians and Pavel and Sergei were battling the other two.

I rushed forward, but as I did I was stopped in my tracks.

"Rose you're alive?" cried Lissa.

"Yeah guess you really can't kill a badass like me now can you?" I asked glaring at Viktor.

_Rose I'm so glad you're okay. I was so upset when I thought you were dead. Wait I saw you all bloody what happened? How are you alive? _

_Liss now is not a good time. Adrian healed me. We'll talk about it later right now gotta focus on the bad guy._

_Oh okay but be careful Rose._

All of the sudden Victor stood behind her with the sharp blade of a knife pressed up against her jugular vein. One false move and she'd be toast.

_Liss I need you to do something for me. I know you are weak and you probably don't have that much magic left, but if you could distract Victor with a hallucination Dimitri can take him out. _

_Okay. I think I am strong enough. _She said.

_Dimitri can you hear me? _ I tried to communicate with him the way I did with Lissa. I looked at him. He had stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Victor with the knife. An odd look came across his face.

_Yes Rose I can hear you. _He replied internally.

_And I can hear you both! _Exclaimed Lissa. _Wait how can I hear both of you and how can Dimitri hear you. I am so confused._

Oh great just what I needed a three way bond with my best friend and my lover.

_Lissa now_ I told her and as I did she let her magic loose on Viktor. He was so startled that he dropped the knife and started scratching at his body like a madman.

"Get them off of me." He shrieked in terror.

As he continued to make a scene Dimitri leapt at him and knocked him unconscious.

I ran to Lissa and untied her she was weak from using so much Spirit. I began to untie the rest as well.

I quickly ran to where my mom and Eddie were. I took Eddie's pulse. It was faint, but he was alive. My mother was doing slightly better. She was able to stand on her own. She clung to me tightly as I let her lean on me.

"Rose, my precious Rose. I thought we'd lost you." She whimpered into my neck.

"I'm here mom. Don't worry about anything. Let's get you to the infirmary."

Pavel and Sergei had managed to take down their assailants and were in the process of tying up the Guardians and Victor.  
Adrian could barely stand, but he went over to where the Queen was laying sprawled out on the couch. She looked terrible pale and weak. She was barely able to speak.

"Forgive me nephew. Please be happy." She said. "I never meant for any of it to happen like this." She croaked.

"Of course I forgive you Auntie. I love you." He replied tears leaking out of his eyes. I passed my mother over to Abe who agreed to take her to the infirmary and went over to comfort Adrian as Queen Tatiana took her last breath.

He sobbed into my hair. "Little Dhampir. I'm so happy to see you alive. I can't believe I was able to bring you back."

I held him as his body shook and shook. He was in pain mentally and physically. I don't know how long I let him cry on me, but I knew he needed it and he would need a feeder. He was very weak.

I slowly pulled back my hair. "Adrian you need to drink. You are very weak." I told him coaxing him towards my neck. Lissa had already been taken to the feeders by Christian and Tasha and then over to the clinic. It was just Adrian and I and Dimitri left here at the house. He was waiting for the clean up crew and the rest of the Guardian's to arrive to assess the damage and make some decisions about where to go from here.

"Rose I can't. You just died. I can't take it from you. It wouldn't be right." He said although I could tell that my neck was very appealing to him seeing is that he hadn't fed in nearly 48 hours and had brought me back from the dead.

"Adrian don't be stubborn! I want you to. It's the least I can do. I know you want to wait here with your Aunt until the coroner comes and if you don't feed you'll get sick." I tried reassuring him.

He tried to protest again but before he could I grabbed a sharp piece of glass from the floor and gently pierced the skin on my neck. I shoved his mouth towards me and as he tried to pull away the pull towards the life sustaining blood was stronger and he greedily latched onto my neck. I felt the familiar buzz of the Moroi bite and nearly as soon as it began it was over. He pulled away having drunk just enough to sustain himself.

He looked at me with pure love in his eyes. "Rose I love you. You're my best friend. You know that right?" he asked.

"I love you too Adrian and you are my best friend as well."

"What about Lissa?"

"She's my sister. You can't count that." I said with a laugh. By this time Dimitri had returned from outside with a few other Guardian's. He saw Adrian and I huddled together on the ground next to Tatiana's body. His eyes moved quickly from the couch to my neck.

I could feel the anger and jealously flare up inside of him. His fists clenched at his side, but his Guardian mask stayed in place.

"Rose are you ready to go? I still want you checked out at the clinic." He said maintaining a calm demeanor although on the inside he was still furious.

I stood up shakily still a little woozy from the endorphins and Dimitri was at my side immediately. He guided me out of the house and we walked to the clinic in silence. I could still feel the anger burning within him .

"Say something Comrade." I told him. "I know how you're feeling you can't hide it from me. You're mad."

He stopped and put his hands on my shoulders. "No Rose I am not mad, I am furious. Why would you do something like that just an hour after you died? What if he hadn't have been able to stop? You could have died again. And this time he wouldn't have been strong enough to bring you back. Why are you constantly putting yourself in unnecessary danger?" He raged. His face was practically turning purple.

I looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. He needed me and I wanted to help. He saved me and I just wanted to do something for him in return." I said apologetically.

I felt his anger begin to melt away. "I know he saved you and I owe him so much. I'm sorry for yelling at you and I know you did what you thought was best, but I just can't stand the thought of losing you again. Rose you died in my arms not even an hour ago. You have to understand what that was like for me. I felt your life slip away. I held your dead body in my arms. I felt your death Roza." He growled.

His emotions were all over the place. He was sad, afraid, happy, and most of all angry. Angry at himself for not being able to protect me.

"Hey, look at me. It is not your job to protect me. I made my choice. She comes first. She always will. You know that you would have done the same. I can't promise you what I know you want. You want me to say I'll stop taking risky chances and ensure my own safety, but you know as well as I that isn't who I am and it certainly isn't who you are. Please don't ask me to be someone I'm not. The one thing I can promise you is that I will love you with everything I have my heart, body and soul for as long as we are together. Even someday when we are separated by death. I will still love you and I'll always be with you." I told him.

I felt his love and devotion for me and he was thinking what a strong woman I was and how he was so proud to be my lover, my mentor and my friend.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asked me pulling me closer to him?

"I dunno let's say we skip the infirmary and I'll show you just how lucky you can get!" I said winking at him deviously.

"Roza. You aren't making this easy for me." He groaned. He wanted me. I could tell, but he'd made up his mind and we were still going to the infirmary. That's just who he was and I'd never try to change him.

**Please review! I need ideas for my sequel. I have a loose plot in mind, but I wouldn't mind your input. Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next few chapters. They are good. I promise**!


	59. Chapter 59: Aloha Hawaii!

**Well here it is the final chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy it and I think everyone will be pleased with the ending. It sets up nice for the sequel. Also check out my profile for some new pics from this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own VA or its characters or plot. **

**Chapter 59: Aloha Hawaii! **

RPOV

As I lay on the white sands of Lahaina Resort on Maui I pondered the events of the last few weeks. After the news of the attack and the Queen's involvement and subsequent death reached the rest of the Royal Court there was somewhat of an uproar amongst the Moroi community especially the Royals. It later came out that Victor Dashkov had his brother Robert Doru, a spirit user turned Strigoi in order to force a permanent healing. He later had Robert killed due to disloyalty which is why the Queen had to resort to trying to turn Lissa.

Victor had gone to trial yet again and had been sentenced to life in solitary confinement in a very nasty Moroi prison called Tarasov. He confessed to the entire scheme and even admitted that Tatiana had promised to make him her successor if he helped her kill me and turn Lissa. I shuddered as I remembered the attacks. There had been no decision yet on which family would step up and become the new Monarch for the Moroi and Dhampir people. The only thing that was sure was that the predecessor would not be an Ivashkov.

I gazed out at the beach enjoying the bright sunshine. The water was crystal clear and the sunlight bounced off the waves brilliantly. The Moroi resort Lissa had booked us at was truly breathtaking. It had shaded tents set up sporadically all over the sandy beach so that the Moroi could still enjoy the sun without the harmful rays getting to them.

Lissa was laying under the canopy next to me asleep and Sparky next to her snoring slightly. I laughed at the sight of the pasty bodies of my Moroi friends. I on the other hand had managed to soak up as much sun as possible in the past few days and was sporting a beautiful golden tan.

We'd been here a little under a week and Lissa had extended our stay an extra week siting the reason that we all needed some extra time to recover from the horrifying ordeal we'd had back at Court. I couldn't have agreed with her reasoning more.

After things had settled down a little Lissa had practically fallen apart that I had died trying to save her. We'd just returned from the clinic and we were all pretty exhausted, but Lissa practically pulled me into her and Christian's room and started freaking out on me.

Flashback

"Rose oh my God Rose! How could you have thrown yourself in front of me like that?" she screeched loud enough for the entire house to hear.

"Calm down Liss! I'm fine and you know why I did it. You come first. You always will. I exist to protect you." I told her calmly.

I could feel the anger welling up inside her and I didn't know how to stop her so I just let her rant.

"How could you die on me Rose. You're my best friend! You're my sister and I can't live without you. Please please promise you'll never leave me again." She sobbed throwing her arms around me and holding on for dear life.

"Shhh Liss everything is fine. I am here and I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon unless you count laying on my ass in Hawaii!" I told her trying to comfort her. I held her until her sobs subsided and I could feel a wave of calm sweep over her body.

"Can you still feel me?" she asked with a sniffle.

"Yes, I can."

"Good I can still feel you too." She smiled a little knowing our bond was still intact.

"Can you feel Adrian?" she asked timidly. I could feel the jealousy rise up in her at the thought of me being bonded to someone other than herself.

"No that's the weird thing. I can't feel him at all. What's really weird though is that I think I am bonded to Dimitri." I admitted.

"What how?" I could feel her surprise and more jealousy.

"Well from what I've deduced he was holding Adrian upright as he healed me. I don't know how but for some reason I can feel his emotions and read his thoughts and we can communicate thoughts through the bond. You were there you heard it."

"I wonder how it happened. Hey do you think that if I focused I could send a thought through you to him and vice versa?"

"It's possible, but Liss I'm beat can we please go to sleep and talk about this in the morning?" I asked through a yawn.

After being given a clean bill of health at the clinic I was ready to fall asleep in the arms of my Russian God.

I hugged Lissa goodnight and climbed into bed next to an exhausted Dimitiri. As if sensing I was there he reached out and enveloped me in his arms. I cuddled into his strong, safe embrace and fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

End Flashback

I sighed contentedly as I felt two strong hands begin to massage tanning oil into my shoulders relieving some stress.

"Relax maya krasaveetsa and let me get rid of that tension ." he breathed against my neck.

"Mmm that feels nice." I responded as he continued to massage my shoulders.

"Hey keep it PG over there." Called Adrian as he and Viktoria walked hand and hand across the beach to join us.

I laughed. "Yea you better keep it PG or Dimitri will kill you." I told him with a wink.

"Always the comedian Little Dhampir." He said with a smirk.

They say time flies when you're having fun and boy does it ever. Before I knew it it was the second to last day of our vacation in Hawaii. Mia and Eddie had gone down to the beach. Lissa and Christian were holed up in their room doing God knows what, Adrian had taken Viktoria to see some Volcano something or another so that left Dimitri and I all by our lonesome.

"Hey Comrade where'd you go?" I called out from the bed. I was so comfortable here in our room with the door to the lanai wide open letting the sound of the ocean and a gentle breeze inside. I thought about spending all day in bed again like we'd done yesterday. Boy was it fun. Not that we'd spent much time sleeping.

"I'm right here Roza." He said exiting the bathroom fully dressed in khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. He already had his sandals on his feet and sunglasses rested on top of his head.

"Where are you going?" I whined. "Don't you want to stay here in bed with me?" I asked in a sultry voice pulling the sheet down so he could see what he'd be missing if he left.

His eyes traveled over my naked flesh and his eyes glazed over slightly, but he regained his composure quickly.

"As tempting as it is for me to want to crawl back into bed and make love to you all day I have something I have to take care of." He responded.

I pouted. "Fine I'll just have to go skinny dipping with Adrian." I said trying to rile him up into staying with me.

He smiled at me. "I know what you're trying to do Roza remember I can feel you."

"Damn sometimes it sucks being bonded with you."

I thought it would be hard for Dimitri to adjust to the whole being bonded thing, but in reality he was great at keeping me from feeling what he was feeling. It was just like when he put on his stoic guardian mask. It was frustrating. I could of course block him. I was good at it from trying to block Lissa. It took me years to learn to block her and it took him only days. Why was he so much better at everything than I was? He did let his guard down when we were alone and allowed me to feel what he was feeling. I was amazed at how much he loved me.

"Hmm I rather like knowing what you are feeling and thinking all the time and knowing exactly where you are." He responded coming forward and planting a soft kiss on my lips.

"Yea Yea supernatural low jack on your girlfriend. When will you be back?" I asked.

"Not until later. What are your plans today?"

"Nothing everyone is busy with their significant other and mine is abandoning me." I said laying it on real thick.

He laughed again. "Enough with the dramatics. Take a shower, get dressed and go out and do something." He ordered me.

I got out of bed reluctantly. "Fine. Go do your thing without me I supposed I can amuse myself." I griped unhappily.

"You will be just fine." He said kissing my forehead and leaving me alone.

I went into the bathroom and pleasantly discovered that while he was in there my thoughtful boyfriend had taken the time to pour me a hot bath. He'd strewn exotic Hawaiian flower petals on the top of the water and had lit a dozen candles creating the perfect relaxing atmosphere.

_Thanks Comrade. You're the best._

_You're welcome my Roza. Enjoy your soak._

I stripped off my robe and immersed myself in the steamy water. I stayed in the tub until the water was cool and my toes were more than a little pruny.

As I reached for the towel and stepped out of the tub I saw a note with my name on it taped to the mirror.

I tore it off and read it.

My Dearest Roza,

I hope you enjoyed your bath. Please go into the bedroom and put on the dress that is lying on the bed. When you are ready meet me on the cliffs we hiked to last week that overlook the ocean.

я тебя люблю

Dimitri

I tried to focus on his thoughts and his location but he was blocking me rather well. I blew my hair out, put on some shimmery grey eye shadow, some mascara, lip gloss and slight rouge and exited the bathroom.

There lying on our bed was a simple strapless white sundress with matching wedge sandals. There was a beautiful white hibiscus flower and a hair pin lying next to it. I slipped on the dress and a white lacy thong and pinned the flower in my hair.

I couldn't help the rush of excitement that flowed through me. I couldn't wait to see what kind of romantic surprise my Comrade had planned for me. Ohh maybe it would be a picnic on the bluff and then we could get all naked in the sand. Hehe my mind started to wander as I spritzed on some perfume and slipped on my shoes.

I left the beach house about a half an hour before sunset. It took me only a few minutes to reach the top of the cliff that we'd discovered last week. My heart fluttered in my chest as I reached the top and saw Dimitri waiting for me. He had changed his clothes. He was now wearing long white pants and a white short sleeved button down shirt. His hair was tied back and he was smiling widely at me as he reached out his hand to me.

"You look absolutely stunning my love." He whispered as he kissed my cheek softly. He led me out to the edge of the bluff. There were candles and flower petals were scattered all over. The sun was just beginning to set and we could hear the waves crashing on the rocks below us as he pulled me closer to him.

"I love you Roza so much more that I can express to you in words, but I am going to try." He said. I could feel him opening up the bond. As he did I could feel his nervousness flow through me. I regarded him quizzically. Why would he be nervous?

"Rose from the moment I saw you through that window in Portland I knew you were special. There was fierceness about you that I greatly admired and the way you tried to fight me even though you were outnumbered was heroic. Your loyalty and compassion are what drew me to you. From the first day we trained together I knew that you would be the best. Everything about the way you live your life makes me fall more and more in love with you every single day. I love you more than yesterday, and I will love you even more tomorrow. I never imagined I would love anyone the way I love you. You've captured my heart and soul and I couldn't imagine living my life without you.

I was about to pass out as he got down on one knee and took my hand in his. I couldn't even believe that this was happening.

"Roza you are my everything, my reason for existence I want to lie next to you every night and wake up to your beautiful face every morning. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He pulled out a black velvet box revealing the most exquisite diamond ring I'd ever seen.

My heart was thundering in my chest as I stared at him utterly dumbfounded. Dhampirs don't get married. This was well I don't know what this was. Crazy is what it was.

"Roza?" he questioned. I knew I had no control over the bond at this point and he could read my every thought. I looked deeply into his eyes and I got lost. I could feel him waiting for my answer.

_Say yes you idiot. I told myself as I fought to regain control of my speech._

_I used my hand to steady his which were quivering slightly beneath mine._

"_Yes, One hundred times yes!" I cried feeling the relief flood through him. _

_He had been terrified that my silence meant I would say no. As if that was even a choice. _

_He smiled brightly at me as I held out my hand unconsciously for him to slip the ring gently onto my third finger. It was a perfect fit. I flung myself into his arms._

"_You're crazy you know that right." I murmured against his neck. _

"_Only for you." He replied kissing me passionately._

_We broke apart and he yelled out loudly "SHE SAID YES!" Suddenly I was aware of cheering and shouting as our friends came out from behind a large boulder. Lissa was squealing in delight.  
She threw her arms around me. "Took you long enough" she said with a laugh. There were tears in her eyes. _

_Adrian, Viktoria, Christian, Eddie, Mia, and surprisingly my parents came over to wish us congratulations. _

"_You had them all over there watching?" I asked him incredulously._

"_Yes I did." He grinned proudly._

"_What if I'd said no?" I asked._

"_You weren't going to say no." he told me matter of factly. _

"_Aren't you sure of yourself?" _

"_No I'm sure of you." He said pulling me flush against him and tracing his fingers across my face slowly._

"_Hey share the wealth man." Joked Adrian as he pulled me from Dimitri's grip and embraced me tightly. _

"_Congratulations Little Dhampir. I am so happy for you." He said genuinely._

_He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from my eyes that I didn't even know I was shedding._

"_Thanks Adrian. It means a lot to me that you are here." _

"_Where else would I be when my best friend is getting engaged?" _

"_Well well Kiz all grown up and engaged. Congratulations!" Said Abe slinging his arm around my shoulders. _

"_Thanks Baba."_

"_It took a lot of guts for the man to ask me for my daughter's hand in marriage. He's a brave man." Said Abe._

_I looked at Dimitri. "You asked my dad?" _

"_Of course. That is the respectful thing to do is it not?" he replied._

"_I suppose." _

"_Besides he wasn't even the scary one. I thought your mother was going to slap me again when I asked her." He laughed heartily._

_I looked at my mother._

"_You gave your permission?" I asked._

"_Well he's a good man and seeing that you have a habit of dying I thought you deserved to have your fairy tale ending." She said with a smile._

"_Thanks mom I love you." I said embracing her warmly. She relaxed and hugged me back tightly. _

"_I love you too Rosemarie."_

"_Can I steal my fiancé back?" asked Dimitri leading me away from my mother. I noticed that around there were three or four small cocktail tables set up and Mia and Eddie were filling glasses with Champagne. _

"_To the happy couple." Said Lissa raising her glass. We all did the same. _

_Later that night as I lay in bed next to my fiancé as weird as that sounds I sighed in contentment knowing that for now everything in my life was perfect._

"_I love you Roza." He replied pulling me even close to him._

"_I love you too Comrade." I said as I fell asleep wrapped in my lover's arms dreaming of all the wonderful things our future would bring._

**Everyone break down and cry this was the last chapter to Taken! I can't believe I actually finished it. I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed and gave me their support and suggestions. I couldn't have finished it without your encouragement. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you'll look for my sequel. **

**I have a few chapters written for my Sequel. I hope to post the first chapter by next Sunday. I just have a few kinks to work out and I need to come up with a name. This next story takes place 4 years after this one. It's shaping up so far. I need some ideas for who the villain can be and what you would like to see happen so PM me or leave it in a review and I'd be happy to take some suggestions or requests. I also need some Russian first and last names for some new Guardians. Let me know if you know of any male or female. **

**Review if you are sad this story is over. I know I am. What was your favorite part of this story? **


	60. AUTHOR'S NOTE SEQUEL POSTED

Author's Note

Thanks for all the positive feedback on this story. I am posting chapter one of my new story that is the sequel to this story and picks up four years later. The name of the story is Rose Colored Glasses.

Please read the first chapter and let me know what you think. I hope you'll give my sequel a chance.

Thanks Again! Happy Reading. Tell your friends.

XOXO

MadameRozaBelikova


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